


World's apart

by halikidito



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Character Death, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Love, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:02:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 55,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25171300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halikidito/pseuds/halikidito
Summary: Yuki Himura has had her fair share of ups and downs as an ICU registered nurse; after, ten years of schooling, and five months working as a nurse in Osaka, the stress of it all sends her back to her uncles shrine in Kyoto, Japan. A sudden twist of events leads her to a mysterious man face down in a waterfall near her home; unknown to her, that man was none other than Lance corporal Levi Ackerman.He has no memory of how he got there, only remembers his name, and as he struggles to come to grips with his strange and new situation, he finds himself not caring about getting those memories back.
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s), Levi/Original Titan Character(s) (Shingeki no Kyojin), Levi/Reader, Reiner Braun/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm posting this from my fanfiction.net account. I really would appreciate reviews on this and, hopefully, a beta as well to make this the best story possible.

It's a calm day. The sun towers over a vast expanse of trees and bushes that sway in the wind. It plays a beautiful melody to the men and women passing through the park; on the faces of those people, the joy of the day is visible. However, for one woman, the atmosphere is nothing but calm and enjoyable. It's a torrent of emotions that leave her heart both breathless and numb; though she chose to walk to the park to relieve her mind from the stresses of the day, she now finds herself sitting on a bench, eyes turned towards the ground, shoulders slouched, and with more stress than her small body can handle. People walk by and stare at her condition but she hardly notices. She's in her own world of doubts and insecurities, painful memories brought on by the events earlier that morning, events that led to the death of a sweet, innocent child at the intensive care unit at Fujikawa Memorial Hospital in Osaka, Japan.

She'd recently graduated from Hokutokai School of Nursing and had acquired a license as an ICU registered nurse. She'd spent years studying the material and graduated the year before at the top of her class. But that's all it was. Even her years spent training as an intern didn't prepare her for the world she stepped in to when she'd found a hospital brave enough to take on a woman fresh out of nursing school. Sure, she'd spent years (more so than most university students) learning and honing her skills but she'd never faced death head on until she started working at Fujikawa five months ago. Her patients weren't people dying from old age, weren't addicts recovering from years of substance abuse, and weren't even the lost souls living on borrowed time. She was confident enough in her abilities as a nurse to treat those kinds of patients; however, the terror on the faces of the men and women in the ICU chilled her to the bone. It would always be the same story in her eyes. Injuries that could've been prevented would bring people to her unit left and right and to her it would always seem so pointless. She had this desire to prove herself in the type of atmosphere, needed to succeed but the daily visions of souls barely clinging on to life brought her to tears. That's why she sits alone on this bench, away from the stress and away from the memories of the little girl that lost her life after a drunk driver lost control of his vehicle. She watched as the doctors did whatever they could to help her but by then it was a lost cause. A pointless cause that shouldn't have happened in the first place.

"Why do I even bother with this place," she whispered, eyes following the nervous taps of her feet. "I feel so helpless." A lonely tear fell down her eye as she made herself more comfortable on the bench, crossing her legs as she reached in to her bag and pulled out a cigarette. "This is just what I need," she voiced, rambling to herself as she lit the cigarette and put it in her mouth but before she could even inhale the first drag she felt a hand creep on to her shoulder.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" she screamed, the cigarette falling from her mouth in the process. She looked to her left and found her friend and coworker in near hysterics from the scene in front of her. Rolling her eyes, she reached for the cigarette and began to smoke, deliberately blowing some in the direction of her friend. "I see you found me Miyako."

"Yes, I did!" Patting her on the back once more, she took a seat next to her and gave her a look of sympathy. She bit her bottom lip and continued. "Listen Yuki - "

"I don't need a lecture right now!" Yuki glared at her, her eyes motioning towards her source of relief before taking another long drag. "This cigarette is enough to get me through the day."

"But it's been five months," Miyako began, a smile forming on her lips as she attempted to lighten the mood. "Most new hires adjust after the first few weeks."

"I'm just having a rough go at it," Yuki replied, not wanting to argue about information she already knew. Clenching her fist, she pounded in to the unforgiving wood of the bench and let out a sharp hiss. Miyako's eyes widened in surprise and before she could grab for her hand, Yuki drew back and held on to the metal arm rest beside her. "I didn't spend all those years of training to be lectured by the god damn secretary."

Miyako seemed to be on the verge of tears but before she could shed any Yuki threw down her cigarette and gave her friend a hug, her own tears starting to flow as she buried her head in to the crook of her neck.

"I'm sorry," She cried as small tears rolled down her cheeks. "You're my best friend, okay. Please don't forget that."

"It's okay Yuki," Miyako replied while rubbing her back. "Maybe it's like you said. You just need more time to adjust." Yuki shook her head while turning her face to meet Miyako's.

"Cut the crap and give it to me straight. Adjusting to life isn't my problem." She didn't want her words to come across as rude and abrasive but she didn't need her friend to do what most friends do in situations like these. She needed someone to give her the unforgiving truth and not sugar coat the underlying issues she had with her job. With a serious face, she stared Miyako down and sighed, her hands digging in Miyako's shoulders. Before continuing, she dried her eyes with her sleeve and tried to calm herself down a little. "Just tell me if I'm cut out to be a nurse."

"Of course, you are!" Miyako protested, "You- "

"Miyako, I'm being serious. I don't need you to sugarcoat it for me."

Miyako seemed a little hesitant at first but nodded her head, her eyes looking towards the afternoon sky. Pushing herself away from her friend, she helped herself up and looked at the hospital then back at her friend.

"You want my honest opinion?"

"Of course!" Yuki replied, raising her arms in frustration. "I want the truth!"

Still a little hesitant but more secure, Miyako gave her friend the best smile while playing with a strand of hair on the side of her face.

"I think you should take a break."

"Take a break. What do you mean." Yuki seemed at a loss for words. She seemed a little confused but allowed her friend to continue with her idea.

"Take a break, as in take a vacation, go somewhere far away and get away from this crap for a while." She gave Yuki a genuine, almost playful smile and let out a small chuckle. "I've know you for years Yuki. We grew up together, went to the same school, and I know you've worked your tail off for this kid of opportunity but you never took a break, not once, and I think the stress of being overworked has finally taken its toll on you. Add in the fact that you deal with death daily, then you have a recipe for disaster. You need to go find a place to relax and restart you mind."

Yuki, while letting out an adorable huff, stood up and gave her friend the meanest glare she could muster; of course, she was faking, but she still felt like blowing off some more steam.

"And here I thought you were my friend," she began, eyes turned from her friend. "No words of encouragement. Tsk tsk."

"Yuki! You said you wanted to the truth." Miyako retreated in to herself for a moment and let out a small cry; however, the sounds of Yuki laughing behind sparked enough energy in her to turn around and slap her friend on the arm. "You little bitch! You know how hard that was for me!"

"Call it pay back for earlier." Yuki gave her friend a small chuckle before throwing an arm over her shoulder. "So, what are you doing for lunch?" she asked, her stomach rumbling at the mere thought of food. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!"

They walked off in to the distance, laughing off the events of the day but there was still more to come. As they walked down the streets of Osaka, Yuki's mind kept thinking about what her friend had told her she should do. She wasn't wrong when she'd talked about her not taking a break after high school. When she chose to become a nurse, she'd given up her hopes of even attempting to have a social life and always had her nose buried in countless studies and internships. Before she realized how deep she'd gotten in to all of it, she found that her schedule revolved around nursing.

She hadn't even given herself enough time to make friends at school, always thought that they would get in the way; however, looking back on it, she had many regrets from her days as a nursing student. If she'd only been more social, had more friends, then maybe she would've had a stronger branch of support when she needed it the most. The only people in her life, as it stands, are Miyako and her uncle Kage. She'd lost her parents at a young age and, from then on, lived with him in a small home near his shrine in Kyoto. Kage had always wanted her to stay closer to home, perhaps take on a small home near the shrine, and take care of it with him but she'd been a bit more ambitious. She loved her Uncle but living in Kyoto, though beautiful and endearing, wasn't enough for her. She always strived to be independent and strong and knew she couldn't be as free as she wanted if she stayed to take care of the shrine with him; however, the freedom she once thought she had, the light that sparked her move from Kyoto to Osaka was barely alive now. All those years, like Miyako said earlier, took a toll on her body in the worst way. She was exhausted.

Before she knew it, she and Miyako were facing a small café nearby but, still lost in her own world, failed to notice so Miyako flicked her on the nose.

"Earth to Yuki! Anybody home!"

"What the hell was that for!" Yuki cried while tending to her stinging nose. Before she could protest any more, Miyako grabbed her by the arm and drug her in to the small building. They found a quiet table nearby a window overlooking the crowded streets and, before she knew it, she found herself hypnotized by the people passing by. They all seemed so oblivious to their surroundings but, at the same time, they seemed happy and content. Sure, she didn't know enough about the people passing by to form any lasting opinions but, in that moment, they had something she didn't have: happiness. She sighed, her breath fogging up the glass.

"Lost in space again Yuki?"

Yuki shook her head and turned to face her friend, a small blush forming on her face as she buried her nose in to the menu.

"I'm a mess, aren't I?" Yuki, asked.

"Yup, but your adorable shortness makes up for it."

Scoffing at her choice of words, Yuki slid the menu towards Miyako and crossed her elbows.

"You just had to use the short card, hmm."

"Of course," Miyako replied, her hand gripping on to both of Yuki's cheeks. "You're just a cute little mess!"

"You're creeping me out Miyako." After a few moments of Miyako teasing her, Yuki pushed her hands away from her face and waived for their waiter to attend to their table. A half hour later, the proceeded to eat their lunches in quiet harmony before Miyako broke the silence.

"So what are you going to do Yuki?"

Yuki sighed in to her fork, the tip of it biting on to her lip. She knew what she needed to do but she'd have to swallow her pride to do it. The very thought of going back to Kyoto with her tail behind her legs made her sick to her stomach; however, the alternative wasn't any better.

"I'll probably stay with my uncle for a while." She replied, the words sounding so foreign to her while she spoke them. She thought she'd never have to go back, thought she'd be successful, thought she'd be able to handle life outside her small town - but that's life. True skill isn't something you learn from a book. You learn how to hone those skills from experience and, from her experience, she still needed time to work out all of her insecurities.

"Doesn't your uncle live in Kyoto?" Miyako asked while taking bite out of her sandwhich.

"Yes," Yuki replied as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Yes he does."


	2. Chapter 2

This is where her journey begins, at a train station in Osaka at 7:00 a.m, a journey back to where she began and a journey that will hopefully end in her coming back a changed woman; however, she's slightly nervous on the train. That much is apparent to even the air she breathes as she nervously taps her feet on the ground. She didn't pack much, just enough to last her for a few months, certain enough that she could at least provide for herself while living with her uncle.

After dealing with the attendee at the front gate she made her way to the front cart of the train and nervously darted her eyes around her before helping herself inside. Frozen for a moment, she bit her lip and looked behind her. She took it upon herself to gaze upon the life she'd built for herself, took in the bustling streets of Osaka and felt extremely guilty for having to leave it all behind but a shake of her head gave her the courage to turn back towards the cart and take her seat.

It pained her to make this trip but it had to happen. The train had already been in motion for at least twenty minutes so the time to turn away was gone. All she could do was hope that this wasn't a mistake, that it would somehow turn her into something better, and she hoped she could stop acting like a nervous wreck around all these people. She was certain a woman, before boarding the train, gave her one of the weirdest glares she'd ever seen but that could just be paranoia setting in. Her nerves were really getting to her but she had to keep moving forward. She was worried about meeting up with her uncle after being gone for such a long time. He hadn't seen her in over ten years and, even though he'd offered to let her stay, she couldn't help but be afraid of the situation. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd spent a summer with him and it made her feel somewhat guilty, having him accept her in his life after all this lost time but he's her only family. She has nobody else.

"I guess if it doesn't work out with Kage I'll shack up in some motel and binge on Ice cream and netflix."

Her thoughts drew her in to a small fit of laughter, one that drew the attention of a young boy sitting in front of her. His mother sat next to him, her head resting against the window; while his mother slept, he tugged on yuki's dress to get her attention.

"Hey lady," he asked as he stared in to Yuki's dark eyes. "What's so funny." He had a somewhat puzzled look on his face but that quickly was quickly replaced with an almost laughable smile.

Drawn away from her thoughts, Yuki jumped a bit at the boys sudden question but quickly composed herself as she looked down at him. He seemed so innocent and pure, eyes wide with wonder at the mere sound of someone laughing. Yuki smiled, remembering when was once like him, so full of wonder and hope, without a care in the world, and didn't have the stress of daily life piling down on her.

"Nothing really," she replied, smiling at the boy once more. "And what's your name?"

"My names Hirito, but my friends call me Hiro."

"Well, that's a lovely name. My name's Yuki." Yuki reached out her hand and patted Hiro on the head as a sign of friendship between the two. Shooting him a quick smile, she patted down the fabric of her skirt and began to rummage through her purse.

Yuki couldn't understand why but she'd always had a connection with children. During her years as intern she'd spent most of that time tending to sick children and, in that time, was able to bond with them in a way she could never bond with people her own age. Each child had their own story to tell and every story was always fascinating. They were always so carefree and simple minded and could easily let life slide off their shoulders like water. She used to be like that, once had that childlike joy in her heart just like any child but life got in the way and that joy grew farther and farther away.

Before the boy could ask her more questions, his mother awoke from her slumber and focused her attention on her son with a somewhat shamed look donning her face as she turned to look at Yuki.

"I hope Hiro isn't being a bother," she replied while running a hand through her sons hair. "He's very impetuous." Yuki shook her head.

"Not at all," Yuki replied, shaking away any fears that the mother may have had. "We're all young once," she continued, almost falling over her words as she watched Hiro cuddle in to his mother's side. The adorable act between Hiro and his mother warmed her heart. The bond between mother and child was something she valued and hoped to have one day. Seeing the display before her very eyes was quite a sight to behold.

"You two a quite the pair," she began while reaching in to her purse for her phone. "Do you mind if I take a picture?"

"May I ask why," asked the mother.

Yuki didn't want to come across as weird but this opportunity was too sweet to pass up. They looked so cute together and she knew, in her heart, that filling her thoughts with sweet moments like this one might help move her in the right direction.

"You might call it motivation."

"Motivation for what?"

"To keep my life positive."

Thankfully, the mother didn't ask any personal questions; after all, the train would be stopping soon so it didn't matter. Smiling, the mother pulled her son close to her face and gave Yuki the sweetest pose she could muster while holding her fidgety son. Even with Hiro's sloppy movement, Yuki managed to capture a cute photo of them and quickly placed her phone back in to her purse.

The train rode on for about thirty more minutes before reaching its destination and, by then, most of Yuki's nerves had subsided; she still however, had a long walk ahead of her seeing as her uncle's shrine was located a few miles away from the train station. After picking up her luggage, she slowly began to walk towards the road that led to her uncle's shrine; the first thing she noticed while walking down the familiar path that led to her uncles shrine was the scenery that always took her breath away. The cherry blossom trees surrounded her on all sides, the petals littering the grounds for as far as her eyes could see. To her left she felt a wave of nostalgia flow through her as her eyes gazed upon the shimmering lake she used to swim in as a child. She smiled as she remembered the first time she ever caught a fish there. She'd been there with her uncle for hours without a single bite and, before the sun drew to a close, she finally got one. Sure, it wasn't the biggest one she'd ever caught but a memory like that can't be forgotten.

Sadly, she'd almost forgotten every little detail about this place. It was like she was trying to change herself in to someone else, someone she knew she couldn't be. She wanted to be a different person and spread her wings out in the world beyond the small existence she had with her uncle but the sheltered life she had didn't prepare her for the world outside. She had her chance to shine and she ruined it with books and a job that may not even be waiting for her when she returns.

She sighed. She seemed to be doing that a lot these days; however, before she could get lost in her morose thoughts, she heard the familiar and peaceful sounds of the waterfall near her grandfathers shrine. Letting out a soft smile, she turned towards the direction of the tranquil noise and witnessed the most breathtaking sight. The fading sunlight glistened over the waterfall in such a beautiful fashion, sparkling like diamonds in the sky. Quickly, she turned her direction towards the shrine and made a decision.

"He isn't expecting me for another hour," she voiced, her eyes motioning towards the waterfall once more. "I'm sure I have time to look at it."

With her mind made up, she walked towards the waterfall in a slow fashion and took in the beautiful scenery around her. For a small moment, her mind thought back to Miyako's words and smiled. Aside from her uncle and the guilt she had from leaving work she thought, for a second, that this might work after all.

Until she saw a sight that made her heart stand still. She almost thought her mind was playing a sick joke, even rubbed her eyes a few times to clear the image out of her head, but it didn't go away. There in the middle of the waterfall lay a man face down in the water with blood pooling around his body. She froze, fear gripping her chest as she witnessed the sight. It was too surreal for words, yet she still managed to let out a haggard cry. For a moment she was lost in a daze, still afraid that the fears and nerves were still getting to her but as she drew closer to the figure she noticed that the man was still there, and so was her fear for the worst.

A splash. There were ripples of waves around his body and Yuki, still terrified, let out a small yelp in fear as she noticed the man try to move, and that's when she decided to get her but in gear. This man, whoever he was, needed her help so she rushed to his side and began to pull him out of the water. She wasn't the strongest person around but, in times like these even the weakest humans can pull off unnatural feats of strength, and she'd just had one of those moments. Once she had him safely out of the water, she laid him on his back and proceeded to give him CPR. Her entire body was shaking in fear and she didn't want to fear the worst; however, after the fifth attempt at resuscitating him, he showed no signs of responding. She'd almost given up hope, was about to call for an ambulance, when she felt a strong hand grip her arm. Her eyes widened as she looked down at the man beneath her, his eyes bearing in to hers as he fought to keep himself awake.

"Thank god!" she screamed, her hands clasping over her mouth as a sob fought its way to her face. Noticing that his grip on her arm was wavering, she grabbed on to his hand and, with all the strength she had left, pulled his body to a nearby tree and sat him against it. Through all of it she could hear his mangled screams and it terrified her because she knew he had to be bleeding somewhere, that the wound had to be bad enough to cause such a reaction. She didn't have time to sit around and wait. Her uncle wasn't far, so she did what any sane person would do. She picked up her phone, dialed the number, and silently waited for him to pick up.

ring. ring. ring.

Please pick up

ring. ring. ring.

please pick up

ring. ring. ring.

"Kage speaking."

All that was heard on the other end of the line were yuki's endless sobs, her screaming for her uncle to hurry and find her. She was terrified, not for what might happen to her but to the man sitting next to her, a man fighting to stay alive.


	3. Chapter 3

The next few moments went by in a blur for Yuki, still unable to register the events that happened to her by the waterfall. She could vaguely make out her uncle quick words of comfort as he spoke to her on the phone, as he tried to calm her enough to make sense of the situation. Even after her tears had subsided, her body still shook in fear as she took in the sickly appearance of the man sitting next to her. He was loosing blood, a lot of blood, and she couldn't make out where it was coming from so she carefully wrapped her hands around the mans stomach and began to pull off his shirt. A painful gasp escaped his mouth, his face relaying to Yuki that her movements were hurting him but Yuki kept pushing forward. She realized that if she didn't find where the blood was coming from, if she didn't slow it down, then he might bleed out and die in front of her. As it stood, he could barely keep his eyes open but the pain throughout his body kept his body stable enough to fight the sleep his so desperately wanted. Wincing in pain, he turned to face Yuki and attempted to reach out to her, attempted to shift his body in a more comfortable position but ended up nearly falling on top of her in the process.

"You don't need to move!" Yuki cried, watching as the man's face fell in to the crook of her neck. Not caring about the blood staining her shirt, she pushed him back against the tree. By then, she had moved his shirt up enough so that she could his abdomen and let out a shocked cry when she noticed a deep and painful gash down his right side and, before she could even think about how it got there, she quickly finished removing his shirt.

"This might hurt but bear with me," she said as she brought the bloodstained shirt up to her mouth. In one quick motion she ripped the material with her mouth, not paying any mind to the taste, and began to wrap the shirts remains around his body. It was a blotchy job but was the best she could do in a situation like this. A painful scream escaped from his mouth as he clenched his side. But before he could make any more sudden movements, Yuki grabbed his hands a placed them on her shoulders.

She looked towards the road, hoping for any sign of her uncle but knew it would be a while longer before he made it to them. She didn't know what to make of the situation, didn't have time to think about anything other than the man in front of her and how to help him, how to make sure he stayed awake and alive. She almost let her mind wander off but before that could happen she felt the man shake against her, a sob escaping his mouth as his head fell on to her shoulder. His eyes were wide with fear and Yuki noticed that tears were slowly starting to roll down his face. Yuki could only stare at the man in shock as he broke down in front of her. His body was shaking hard enough to vibrate her entire body, her fear breaking down her resolve as as she placed a hand on top of his head, her hands combing through the bloodied mess.

"Everything's going to be okay," she said, her eyes focused on the trembling man beneath her gaze. "My uncle will be here soon to take us to the hospital."

The man's head shot up, his eyes bunched together in confusion. It struck Yuki as odd, the way he looked at her as though she'd said something out of the ordinary but she let it slide off her shoulder and continued to stare in to his bewildered eyes.

"There's a hospital not far from here," she continued as she bit against her lower lip. "You need to have that injury looked at properly before it gets any worse."

He looked down at his side, at the shirt poorly wrapped around his stomach, and nodded his head. He still had a look of confusion on his head but the thought of going somewhere to relieve the pain was enough to still his fears for the moment.

"I..." he began but before he could finish, Yuki shook her head and pressed a finger to his lips.

"You shouldn't speak right now," she said, her eyes lit with worry. "You just need to sit here and wait on my uncle."

Nodding, he rested his head back against her shoulder and sighed as his mind began to think back to the events earlier that day, or at least what he could remember of the moments before he found himself lying on the ground. His head throbbed in pain from memories that clung to his mind yet he somehow couldn't reach them or understand what they were. All he could focus on was the current situation he was in and how to stay awake; but, due to the comfortable position he was in, his eyes began to yet again waver and before he knew it, while pleading sounds of the woman to stay awake were heard, he fell asleep against her and drifted away.

The next time he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a small bed, his eyes focused on the white ceiling above him. Sunlight protruded through the window next to his bed and stung at his eyes. Unaware of his surroundings, he attempted to sit up but could barely move an inch as he felt pain shoot through the right side of his body. He quickly threw himself back against the bed and sighed, his eyes still weary from exhaustion. That's when the memories from earlier returned to his senses, recalling the woman who had found him earlier. He felt the grip of death gnawing at his body, almost gave in to the horrifying pain his was in but the woman helping him kept him stable enough to fight through the pain.

He could hear a noise coming from the opposite end of the room but wasn't prepared for the sight in front of him as he turned to face the direction of that noise. In a chair not far from his bed sat the woman who'd saved him, her head and arms resting against a desk in an almost uncomfortable manner but it touched him to see her care enough to stay by his side. Though his expression seemed somewhat bored, far different from the shaking mess he'd earlier been, he did appreciate her concern.

While she slept, he took the time to study her appearance. Her dark blue curls messily hung about her face in an adorable fashion, one that left the man breathless. She seemed to be of short stature and assumed he would be a least a fraction of an inch taller than her but he couldn't make an accurate guess because of her current position on the chair. He wanted to study her features a bit more but before he could finish he noticed the woman's eyes slowly start to open, a yawn leaving her lips as she stretched her arms above her head.

For a moment she froze as her eyes met his but, before she could blink an eye, she found herself rushing to his side with a smile forming on his lips.

"You're awake," she began, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "You've been asleep for a long time."

He stared in to her hazel eyes, his face turning towards the window once more as he gazed upon the sunlight shimmering through the blind. Yuki didn't want to push him too hard, didn't want to question him about the painful events that had happened but she couldn't help but notice the confused look in his eyes as he studied his surroundings. She had to help in any way she could.

"Do you remember anything?" she asked. He nodded his head, his eyes turning her direction once more.

"I remember you saving me." he replied, a soft smile forming on his lips as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you." Blushing, Yuki pushed his hand away and sighed.

"I couldn't just leave you there to die," she began as she began to play with her hair. "You were in so much pain." She searched his eyes once more and decided to ask the question that had been on her mind since she'd first found him.

"How did you end up like that?" she asked, somewhat guilty for asking in the first place but she also felt like she deserved to know the answer.

"I honestly don't know," he began as he rested an elbow over his forehead. "All I can remember is you pulling me out of the water." Yuki nodded her head, understanding that it would take some time for him to fully adjust to everything. Hopefully with time he'd remember more but the most important thing for him now was recovering from his injury.

"Do you remember you name?" She asked as she grabbed his hand and shook it. "Mine's Yuki Himura." He clenched her hand is his and looked in to her eyes, a soft expression taking over his face as he looked at her. He nodded his head and smiled.

"The name's Levi. Levi Ackerman."

Author's note


	4. Chapter 4

Levi had taken it upon himself to rest a bit longer after learning a little more about the woman who'd saved him but he'd expressed his concerns to Yuki about finding a more comfortable spot to rest, seeing as she seemed extremely uncomfortable in the position she'd earlier been in. The idea of resting next to him was completely out of the question, seeing as they'd just met so she arranged to have one of the attending nurses move a cot in to the room for her. She didn't know why she stuck by his side and made such an effort to be near him but somehow, somewhere deep inside her heart, she knew she had to see this through.

While he slept, she finally let her eyes follow the soft curves of his pale face and the raven locks that fell over his eyes as he released soft, shallow breaths. Just hours before, that face had been stained with blood, had a fearful expression masking the peaceful one she saw now, and it honestly made her think about, though she didn't want her mind to drift in that direction, of the moments when things actually worked out at the hospital. In her five months at the hospital, she'd witnessed her fair share of fatalities and felt the pain of every man and woman that died around her; however, the ones that were lucky enough to endure the pain, the souls that had the will to fight for their lives, had the same peaceful expression that Levi had on his face right now. With that vision of peace instilled in her memory, she allowed her thoughts to drift away, let her eyes kiss her cheeks, and let herself fall away in to her dreams.

Before she knew it, she felt a hand lightly tug at the collar of her shirt and, with sleepy eyes barely open, she looked up to find her uncle staring down at her with a toothy smile forming on his face.

"Sleep well princess?" He asked. In his right hand he held a bag full of something Yuki could only assume was food, since the wonderful aroma steaming from the top of it was starting to make her mouth water. She figured it was only hospital food, probably from one of the nearby cafes near the entrance but, since she hadn't eaten since the morning before, she'd worked up quite an appetite and was greatly in need of any form of nutrition.

"Hey there uncle Kage," she replied, her eyes looking back towards Levi's still sleeping form. She motioned for her uncle to place the bag on the table. As he did, she sat herself up on the cot and stretched out her arms. "I'll wait until he wakes up. It'd be rude to eat without him." Kage tilted his head to the side, gave his niece a smirk, then ruffled his hands in her hair before taking a seat at the table.

"You're lucky you called me when you did Yuki." he said as he pulled a sandwich out from the bag. "You're lucky I was still at the shrine." Nodding her head, she pulled her knees up to meet her chest and rested her elbows over her knees. She buried her face in to the space between her legs and sighed.

"I'm just glad you were there." she replied.

"I still don't get it though," Kage began, his mouth biting in to the sandwich as he spoke. "Why bother sticking around. You aren't responsible for him." Yuki sent him a quick glare, ashamed that her uncle would even think those kinds of thoughts would cross her mind. Sure, most people would've ran away from the sight she'd seen but she wasn't like other people. She'd spent most of her life trying to protect other people from the fate Levi had almost succumbed to; however, trying was all she ever did and she wasn't about to see another person die in front of her.

"I don't know why I stayed," she began, her face still resting between her legs. "It just feels like the right thing to do." She honestly couldn't explain it to her uncle, thought he wouldn't understand but before she knew it she felt her uncle raise her head up, his eyes giving her one of the warmest smiles she'd ever seen him give and, while one arm pulled her in to an embrace he began to pat her lovingly on the head. Lost in her own world, Yuki hadn't even been paying attention to her uncle getting up from his seat, so the sudden affection he was giving her made her blush, embarrassed but also surprised by it.

"Uncle Kage!"Yuki protested. She attempted to swat her uncle away from her but her actions only fueled her uncles resolve to Laughing, Kage swatted her on the back before walking over towards Levi's bed, his tall stocky figure leaning over him as he studied the young man beneath him.

"Uncle Kage," Yuki whispered, minding the fact that Levi was still asleep on the bed. "What're you doing?" Kage either chose to ignore her response or didn't hear her meek words so she began to remove herself from the bed; however, the position she'd had herself in earlier had caused her legs to fall asleep so, instead of walking to meet her uncle, she fell face first on to the ground. Rubbing the back of her head, her face against the cool tile of the floor below her, she sighed and turned her her head to the side when she felt a warm sensation on the tip of her ear. Looking up she stared, yet again, into Levi's piercing gaze but this time she allowed an embarrassed chuckle to escape her lips before quickly standing herself up.

"Sorry," she said, her eyes full of regret. "I didn't mean to wake you." Shaking his head, Levi rested his arm against the frame of the bed and attempted to prop himself up with his elbow. Without thinking, Yuki rushed to help him up and, before he knew it, his back was against it as he stared up at the man who was staring him down. He was still in a lot of pain but at least it was far more bearable than before and, with Yuki rushing to aid him in it made it far more tolerable.

"Thank you," he said as he placed a hand on to his injured side, his eyes wincing as he felt a small sting shoot through his body. "Damn. this hurts like hell."

"You shouldn't be touching it," Yuki scolded, her nose crinkling as she swatted him on the head. Her eyes flared in irritation but quickly shot back to a far more worried expression as she looked at the bandage on his right side. The moment they arrived at the hospital, Levi had been taken in to one of the nearby rooms and, from the start, the doctors noticed that his injuries weren't as bad as they'd initially appeared to be. They didn't require surgery, just stitches, rest, and medication to ease the pain. They had even praised Yuki for being as quick as she was in attending to his bleeding, and that thought made Yuki smile.

With a bored expression on his face, Levi stared at her uncle and nodded his head, silently thanking him.

"No need to thank me just yet," Kage said, his arms folded over his chest. He eyed Levi up and down, motioned his eyes towards Yuki, then back to Levi before reaching behind him to pull a chair up to Levi's bed. "So tell me," he continued, his arms resting on the head of the chair. "What the hell brings you to Kyoto?" Confused, Levi looked at Yuki and bowed his head.

Yuki scoffed at her uncle, silently apologizing to Levi with her eyes as she walked up to her uncle and slapped him on the head slightly startling Levi in the process; however, it was a funny sight to behold and almost, just almost, brought a smile to Levi's lips.

"Uncle Kage!" she shouted, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. "You don't have to be so rude!"

"I just want to know if the boy remembers anything." He replied as he rubbed his sore head. Looking back at Levi, he grabbed Levi's hand and fiercely shook it.

"The Names Kage Himura. I'm Yuki's uncle." Kage noticed Levi attempted to speak but before he could let the words escape his lips, Kage sat up from the chair, walked over to the table where he'd left the food, and brought it over to both Yuki and Levi. Reaching in to the bag, he handed them both sandwiches wrapped and foil and, reluctantly, as they proceeded to eat their meals, Kage proceeded to continue.

"You have somewhere to stay?"

Yuki nearly dropped her food on the floor at her uncles sudden question. She hadn't even let her mind wander in that direction seeing as Levi had enough to deal with as it stood but, now that she thought about it, knowing that sort of information might help her help Levi just a little more.

Shaking his head, Levi took a small bite out of his sandwich and sighed.

"Listen," he began as he sat his sandwich in his lap. "I honestly can't remember much about what happened before she found me. It's all just a blur in my head right now and, honestly, it's a miracle I even remember my name." His hands dug tightly clenched in to the white sheets of the medical bed as an unfamiliar emotion swept through his body. Tears were threatening to pour down his face and, wanting to avoid making a scene, he looked towards the window then down towards the floor. A sudden jolt of pain shot through his head,a throbbing sensation that nearly sent him over the edge and, as he placed the palm of his hand over his face, he began to silently weep. "It feels like those memories are there, but I can't seem to place them. It's all just -"

Without warning, Levi felt a warm hand rest upon his back. Looking up, he noticed Yuki staring down at him with a smile drawn over her face. She began to rub at his back and, within moments, the pain began to subside.

Rolling his eyes, Kage once again began another line of questions directed at Levi.

"I'll ask you again, boy, do you have somewhere to stay?" Levi shook his head.

"No, I don't." Huffing, Kage shot Yuki a quick glance before heading towards the door.

"Yuki," Kage began while his hand rested on the door knob. "They'll be releasing him in a few hours. I expect both of you to be ready to go by then."

"Both of us?" Yuki asked, somewhat confused.

"Yes," he said. Shooting Yuki a wink, he walked outside and left Yuki to her thoughts, hoping she'd eventually figure out what he was implying.

"Hmmmm," Yuki said while tracing the tips of her fingers against her mouth.

"What?" Levi asked. Smiling, Yuki began to take a bite out of her sandwich.

"I think you have a place to stay."


	5. Chapter 5

Levi was released from the hospital late that night, around midnight, and Yuki honestly didn't understand why he couldn't have at least spent the night there; however, she assumed it had something to do with him crowding up a room that could've been used for a patient whom actually needed it.

She, Levi, and her uncle were in the parking lot walking to Kage's car. Yuki had her hands firmly rested inside the front of a hoodie she'd changed in to earlier. Her eyes were drooping and she could feel the throws of sleep pulling her under; however, she knew she had to keep herself awake for just a bit longer. During the walk she turned to look at Levi and noticed how rigid his body looked, how he seemed to somewhat be on edge as he studied his surroundings. The sounds cars passing down the road, though their weren't many, startled Levi and caused his body to Jump a little. Letting out a short gasp, he shot his eyes towards the ground and sighed.

Yuki was certainly concerned. She knew he'd be out of sorts for a while but she'd never dealt with something like this up close and she knew it would take time to readjust to everything. Combing a hand through her hair, she threw her free hand over Levi's shoulder and gave him an apologetic smile, her eyes conveying the message that she couldn't find the words to express. Startled, Levi jumped back a bit but quickly composed himself before thanking her with an appreciative nod.

"Are you all right?" Yuki asked. Levi slowly nodded his head but the looks on his face told Yuki otherwise. "I hope you don't think you're being a bother," she continued. Nervously, she patted him on the back and chuckled. "After all, I'm the weirdo here. You know next to nothing about me yet here I am offering you a place to stay."

Levi remained silent for a moment and took in her words. The events leading up to this moment were strange but it wasn't enough to make it seem weird to him. He fumbled around with the collar of his shirt and began to roll his fingers around a button near the end of his neck before resting a hand on top of the one she had on his back.

"The situation is weird and unsettling," he began as he tightly squeezed her hand. "But I don't think you're weird."

"Really?" Yuki seemed unsure of herself. She was walking on uncharted territory, in a situation she didn't want to be in but wouldn't dare step away from. Something compelled her to keep going with this. Nervously chuckling, she turned to glance at her uncle, then back at Levi before giving him an adorable smile. "Hopefully you won't have to stay long." She quickly threw her hands over her mouth, embarrassed because she hadn't meant to say it like that but the look on Levi's face told her he understood.

"I didn't mean it like that." She knew he understood but she still felt like apologizing for the way she spoke. Her eyes turned towards the ground. She moved her hand away from his and clenched her chest and sighed. "What I meant was that I hope you get your memories back soon. Knowing your name's a good sign, so I'm sure you'll recover quickly"

"I sure hope so."

The rest of the walk was met with silence and, when they finally reached Kage's car, Yuki did her best to make the back seat comfortable enough for Levi to rest in. Levi seemed hesitant at first but tossed the doubt in to the back of his mind before crawling inside. He had his back against the right passenger window. Yuki had given him some pillows to rest against his back and legs and, even though he wasn't uncomfortable, he couldn't bring himself to fall asleep. His kept his eyes focused on the scenery as they drove in silence, confused by the sights but also amazed. He didn't know if he'd been here before but knew that the feeling welling up in his chest, the sensations he got while staring at the mountainous landscape, the trees, and the moonlit lake sent pleasant chills down his spine.

"It's all so beautiful," he thought. Clasping his hands together, he softly laid his head against the window and shut his eyes. He knew he couldn't sleep but the peaceful atmosphere was quite invigorating, so much that it it left his body in such a relaxed state; however, he a surprising chuckle drew him to attention and, when he opened his eyes, he stared at Yuki and noticed she was laughing at him.

"What's so funny," he asked. With a hand covering her mouth, Yuki whispered a soft apology before turning back to face the road in front of her. Though he couldn't see her face that well anymore, Levi noticed the rosy color forming around her cheeks as she fidgeted in her seat.

"I thought you were asleep." She said.

"Well, I wasn't." He said as he chucked to himself.

"Could've fooled me," Yuki scoffed, still recovering from her embarrassment. When she'd calmed herself enough, she tapped her uncle on the shoulder and stretched her arms in the air as she yawned. "We almost there Kage?" He nodded.

"It'll be a few more minutes."

"Okay." Turning to look at Levi once more, she gave him a quick wink before resting her head against her seat. Closing her eyes, she began to think of everything that had happened to her that day. In just a short amount of time, everything had been turned upside down. The end result was the same - she was still going to stay with her uncle - but now she had an extra set of hands accompanying her. Doubt began to creep in to her mind as she tilted her head against the window, her eyes opening slightly to stare at the road. She knew she had to help the man but, for some reason, she felt like she was out of her depth. She'd spent over ten years focused solely on herself and her needs and now, as her eyes glanced back once more at Levi, she found herself jumping in to something that required her to take care of someone else. She felt somewhat helpless but was also determined to see it through, no matter how unsure of herself she was.

They arrived at Kage's shrine ten minutes later, and by then Yuki could practically feel the exhaustion rolling throughout her body. She honestly didn't want to get up, would've been content with simply falling asleep where she sat but the sound of Levi tapping her shoulder brought her out of her daze. After removing her seat belt, she opened the passenger door and stepped outside. She stretched her legs for a moment before opening the door to the back seat.

Levi was sprawled out in a comfortable position, and Yuki didn't want to cause him any more pain but she knew he'd have to endure a little bit of discomfort if he wanted to get out of the car. She extended her arm, motioning for him to do the same, and when he did she grabbed on to his hand and helped him up. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be in too much pain as she pulled him out of the car.

Her legs were still quite numb from the drive and, before she knew it, she found her knees buckling from the sensation. She closed her eyes, prepared herself for the fall but instead felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. When she opened her eyes, as she looked up, she found Levi staring down at her with a smirk on his face.

"You all right?" He asked.

The situation was so embarrassing though she knew she had no say in the matter. She simply waited for the blood to rush back from her legs before releasing herself from his embrace.

"Yes," she replied as she turned away from him. "Thank you for catching me."

"No problem." He said. He took in the building around him, then looked back at Yuki but before he could finish speaking to her, Kage loudly knocked on the door and caught their attention.

"Hurry up and get inside," he said as he looked up at the sky. "It looks like it's going to rain soon."

Nodding their heads, both Levi and Yuki walked to the door and stepped inside.

I hope you guys like this chapter. I know it's a slow start and I bet you guys really want some cute Levi action but I honestly hate stories that have this kind of format:

OC: Hi Levi

LEVI: Hi. You know I've been watching you for a while.

OC: What do you mean.

LEVI: I mean I love you.

OC: Oh Levi hold me!

It isn't really like that. I've seen a few stories that actually stand the test of time are are actually really good but the majority of them remind me of when I was 15 and had the main character fall in love almost instantly. It isn't realistic. Sure, this is a fanfiction but do you really want to see a character instantly fall head-over-heels in love within the first few paragraphs? You wouldn't be able to relate to the story, or at least I don't when I read stories like that.


	6. Chapter 6

Levi and Yuki quickly removed their shoes once they were safely inside her uncles home. Yuki patted down her damp hair because, as her uncle had earlier feared, the beginnings of a small storm had begun to pour down on them. Levi had tiny droplets of rain trickling down his forehead; however, he had a relaxed expression on his face as he combed a hand through his hair. Levi took in his surroundings, a somewhat dazed look on his face as he inspected the furnishings before him. Yuki took a moment to notice that his behavior seemed somewhat odd; however, after what he'd been through, she didn't think too hard on the matter. Instead, she decided to let her eyes do all the thinking as she studied his body. He was slightly taller than her which, in itself, was hard to come by seeing as most of the men she worked with - even her uncle - always seemed to tower over her.

Since meeting him, she'd seen him display an array of facial expressions but the lack of any expression on his youthful face was the one that carried the most weight. His eyes had an aged look in them as if they'd experienced something terrible, something she would probably never understand. Though damp and matted, his raven hair reminded her of the military style she'd seen from the commercials on television - short, with an undercut that framed his face quite nicely. She eyed him down for a few moments before his head turned her direction but before she could be caught staring she felt a soft towel fall over hear head.

"Jesus Yuki,"he said as he rubbed the towel in to her wet hair. "I could hear your teeth chattering from a mile away."

With the towel still over her head, Yuki wrapped her arms over her chest and felt how badly her body had been shivering. She could feel a sudden heat rising to her cheeks, knowing full well that the sound of her teeth clanking away was making Levi uncomfortable - even she was noticing just how bad it was - and that only fueled her desire to try and calm her body down. Covering her mouth, she turned her body to face the door and sighed. A few moments later, she felt the towel rise off her head and looked up to stare at her uncles humored gaze. With a toothy grin plastered on his face, he tossed Levi the remaining towel that he'd been carrying in his arm.

"After the two of you dry off go in to the living room and get comfortable," he said as pointed towards a nearby hallway. Nodding, Yuki began to dry off the rest of her body. Levi had begun to do the same; however, while the towel was hooded over his head, Kage looked over at him and began to eye him up and down. He seemed to be contemplating something; however, Yuki honestly though that his actions were quite rude, especially to a guest but she expected nothing less from her uncle. He'd always had an extremely intrusive personality, even with close friends, so Levi wouldn't be any different. "What size shirt do you wear?" He asked.

"Hmm?" Levi asked, somewhat confused by the question. Rolling his eyes, Kage reached for the collar of Levi's shirt and pulled it down. When he saw that there wasn't a tag indicating his size, he patted Levi on the back of the neck.

"Be right back," he said. He walked down the hallway then, halfway near the end, turned in to a room on the left. A few moments later he returned with an over sized shirt and, with a yawn, put it in Levi's hands. "I'm a LOT bigger than you but it'll have to do for now. Now, take off your shirt." Yuki's eyes felt like they were bulging out of her head. Had her uncle seriously just asked him to take off his shirt? Did he even notice that she was still standing there? Before she could answer her own thoughts, she felt a set of hands turn her body to face away from them.

"You could've just told me to turn around," she scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. She placed the tips of her fingers against her cheeks and let out a soft gasp as she felt how warm she'd become.

"Already tried that," he said as he ran a hand through his hair. "You weren't responding, so I took action." Yuki hadn't even realized she been that unresponsive, didn't even realize how tightly her nails were digging in to her arms as she stood frozen in her own thoughts.

"Dammit Yuki get it together." After she calmed herself down, she turned herself around to face her uncle and, by far, the most adorable sight she'd ever seen. Sure, Levi was short - probably only five feet tall - but the sight of her uncles large shirt on his short frame made her face light up. All the nervousness she'd had melted away in that moment, her eyes shimmering like an bumbling idiot as she let out a delighted squeal.

"You look so fucking cute!" she squealed. Her squeal quickly turned in to a scream as she felt her uncle rap her on the base of her head. Mumbling something about Yuki needing to "watch her language, he shook his head, then began to walk to the kitchen. With his back still facing away from the pair, he turned his face towards Yuki and yawned.

"I'm gonna brew us a pot of tea," he began as he lazily began to search around the kitchen. "Hurry up and get to the living room. We still have a lot to discuss and I honestly don't want to be up all night." Nodding, Yuki threw her towel over her shoulder and, with Levi in tow, began to head towards the living room.

Yuki rolled her eyes as she noticed all the pictures of her that still littered the walls; however, it did bring back some fond memories for her, memories of of time when life was much simpler than the one she was currently living. Chuckling, Levi reached out to grab one of the frames hanging on the wall, then studied it for a while before putting it back up.

"Your uncle must really care about you," he stated as his eyes began to skim over all the other photos. Scanning all the photos, he noticed she seemed very young in almost all them excluding the graduation photo at the end of the room but, even then, she still looked quite young compared to the woman that stood before him. Sighing, Yuki gazed over a few of the photos and released a soft smile when she came across a picture of her sitting on top of her uncles shoulders.

"Sometimes he's a little overbearing," she began, her eyes somewhat misty as her hands began to lightly caress the picture of better times. "But he's the only family I have."

"Only family?" he asked. Frozen, Yuki quickly clenched her fist around the edge of the photos frame and, for a moment, Levi turned away from her and let out an awkward sigh. "I didn't mean to pry." Reclaiming herself, Yuki patted him on the shoulder and shot him the best smile she could muster.

"it's all right. It's all in the past now anyway." she released her grip from the photo and gave Levi a sweet wink. "I'll tell you about some other time mmkay." She'd already spent enough time thinking about the past on her own. Talking to some stranger about it all, especially since she could literally feel the exhaustion raking through her body, didn't seem like a good thing to dwell on in a moment like this. Perhaps, when she'd had some more sleep and knew him a little better she'd feel more comfortable talking to him about herself.

With the living room nearly steps away, she took a few strides to the couch in the middle of the room and threw herself on top of the cushions; as a pleasant sigh escaped her lips, she buried her face against the arm rest and felt her body sink in to a state of relaxation.

"It's been one hell of a day," she said. She pointed at the recliner beside her and tilted her head up to meet Levi's tired gaze. "Take a seat and rest your legs."

Yuki could see exhaustion radiating off his body. His eyes were drooping and, all around, his appearance looked haggard. They were both tired and desperately in need of sleep but, for some reason, they were also restless. The events of the day, now yesterday, had left them with many questions to ask but, for Yuki, she knew she wouldn't have the answers to most of them - at least for now.

Slowly, Levi walked over to the recliner next to where she sat and sunk his back in to the seat. Once he was comfortable enough, he began to massage the back of his neck, a soft moan escaping his lips as he eased the tension away.

"Are you feeling better?" Yuki asked. she turned her head to the side and looked at his injured side. Levi wearily nodded his head as he scratched his nose.

"Sitting down is helping." he replied. He eased his back in to the recliner and, with eyes wide, was shocked when the seat began to fold out from under his feet. "What the-!" His body, now sprawled out, seemed frozen for a moment as he cautiously began to look around him. In all his confusion, he hadn't realized that Yuki had erupted in to a fit of laughter. When he turned to face her, he saw that her body had fallen to the ground and had her arms wrapped around her stomach.

"I...," she began, nearly tripping over her words as she tried to escape her laughter. "I didn't mean to laugh at you but it was just too funny." Sitting herself up, she crossed her legs and turned to face Levi, a jovial smile accompanying her face as she fought back more tearful laughs. Blushing, Levi turned his face away from her gaze and crossed his arms; however, before he knew it, he found himself laughing along with her. Once the sound escaped his lips, he nearly let out a surprised jolt but easily suppressed it. The sensation felt so foreign to him but, for the life of him, he couldn't understand why. It was as if he hadn't had much to laugh at in a long time but, for now, those memories were buried deep in the back of his mind. Though he was slightly unsettled by the moment, the pleasure far outweighed the need to try and understand why it was even unsettling. He just enjoyed the moment for what it was and tossed out the weary thoughts that were plaguing his mind.

"I honestly don't know why I'm laughing," he admitted as he released another chuckle. "But I honestly think we needed it." Yuki nodded in agreement and sat herself back on to the couch.

"I don't think I've laughed that hard since high school," Yuki said. She propped her elbow up on the arm rest and gently laid her head on top of the palm of her hand. "That was twelve years ago." Whining, she pounded the arm rest with the end of her elbow and sighed. "Damn, i'm getting fucking old."

"You can't be that old," he said. Stretching his hands, he gently rubbed the back of his neck before looking her direction and staring her up and down.

"How old do you think I look?" she asked. Levi's eyes widened. His memory may not have been as good as he needed it to be but he still felt a little uneasy answering that kind of question; however, before he could sent her a swift lie she waved a hand in front of his face. "If you seriously tell me I don't look a day over fifteen I'll fucking strangle you."

"A day over what?" Yuki rolled her eyes.

"Just be honest okay." Levi nodded his head and looked back at her. He noticed how short she was, how youthful her face appeared, and how her eyes lit up the room as she stared at him. He hadn't had the time to pay it any close attention before but now, now that he had the time, he noticed how beautiful her hair looked as it swayed over her shoulders. It was a color he could honestly say he'd never seen before, a shade of blue that could have your eyes trapped for hours. No, she didn't look like she was fifteen but she didn't look old either. She had this womanly aura about her, had a sense of maturity that only an aged spirit could understand, and her eyes told him she'd seen more than any child could even possibly dream about seeing. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he looked in to her aged then down at the floor.

"Honestly, you look like you're twenty...maybe a little older." Her eyes went wide as a smile filled up her face.

"You actually think I'm twenty!" she screamed. Bouncing up and down like a child, she patted him on the back and laughed. "I haven't heard that in over five years!" He looked back up at her and, without thinking, smiled.

"So," he began, his eyes feeling slightly heavy again. "can you tell me how old you actually are?" Still high on her happiness, she furiously nodded her head then turned it to face the direction of the hallway.

"I'm thirty. I sure as hell don't look like it though." She eyed her body up and down and sighed. "You have no idea how hard it is when people constantly think you look like you're still in high school." Raising a fist up, she sliced the air in half and chuckled. "I get carded all the freaking time! It's can really be a pain in the ass."

"Tell me about it." She quickly turned back to face Levi then nearly once again double over in laughter as she saw the expression he was sending her way.

"I guess us shorties have to stick together!" she cried as she clutched on to her stomach.

The faint sounds of a telephone ringing drew Yuki's attention to the direction of the hallway once more. She could barely make out her uncle in the kitchen but could see enough to know that he was huddled over the stove inhaling the steam from the tea that was brewing. It was his way of knowing whether it was ready or not. Satisfied with the smell, he brought the pot to a simmer then walked over to the phone to pick it up. A loud guffaw erupted from his lips after a few exchanges were met, then he placed the phone down and went to grab some cups from one of the drawers above the sink. With three cups in hand, he placed them on a tray and, with the tea kettle in one hand and the tray in another, he proceeded to walk to the living room.

"You'll never believe who that was Yuki," he said as he placed the tray on the coffee table in the middle of the room. Yuki reached for the kettle, poured some tea for both her and Levi, then began to sip at the cup while looking at her uncle.

"Who was it?" she asked. Rubbing the back of his neck, her uncle grabbed a cup, poured himself some tea, then took a sip. He tried to look at his niece with a straight face but crumbled when he saw how adorably clueless her expression was.

"It was the night manager at the train station." By then, he'd hoped Yuki would've understood but, after a few more confused stares, he decided to explain it to her. "He said you left your luggage there."

Shooting up from her seat, nearly spilling the tea all over her, she buried her face in to the palms of her hands and began to whine. "I'm such an idiot!" she cried. There weren't any apparel stores open that early in the morning and she honestly didn't want to sleep in the clothes she currently had on. Sighing, she sat back down and rested her hands on her legs. "I guess I'll have to sleep in this tonight."

"Nonsense!" her uncle exclaimed as he pointed to a room in the back. "I never got around to redecorating your room so all of your old clothes are still in there. They're all boxed up but it's better than nothing. Yuki cringed as she stared at the room he was pointing at.

"You mean all my clothes from high school?" she asked.

"Yeah." he took another sip of his tea. "Is that a bad thing." Scoffing, Yuki crossed her legs and shook her head.

"I think I'll take my chances with the clothes I have on. I bet you a million yen that all the shirts in there have a picture of hello kitty on it." Her uncle smiled, slightly lost in a memory but let out a hearty laugh as he nodded his head.

"You sure loved yourself some hello kitty back then." he said. All Yuki could do was shoot him an annoyed glare as a blush crept on to her face. She was such a nerd in high school, always wearing what she thought was cute and, never caring too much about any sense of fashion, always thought that it was alright for a seventeen-year-old girl to go around wearing cute pictures of a furry kitten all over her chest. If she had the chance to beat her past self senseless, she take it in a heartbeat and tell her to get a fucking makeover. She'd even gone through what most people call the "tim burton" phase. When she was fifteen, she decided she'd try to imitate almost every outfit from the nightmare before christmas and often received awkward stares in the hallways between classes. The outfits then compared to her tastes today were completely different. She normally always found herself wearing her nursing outfit but, even under the uniform, she'd wear plain hoodies and a pair of faded jeans. She stood out like a sore thumb in high school, so much that it ruined her self esteem and left her only wanting plain clothes to keep the eyes away from her attire.

Still flushed, she turned to face Levi. She picked up the remaining cup of tea and handed it to him. Reluctantly, he accepted it and felt a wave of pleasure still throughout his body as he inhaled the wonderful scent. It may not be that big of a memory but he at least knows that he likes, no, LOVES tea. With his hands around the rim of the cup, he tipped the drink in to his mouth and sighed, not noticing the confused stares from Kage and Yuki. Yuki noticed the way he grabbed his cup was quite odd but didn't feel the need to question him about it.

For the next hour Yuki, Levi, and Kage sat in there respective seats and chatted on about the shrine and the new developments that had been made during Yuki's absence. Yuki honestly thought the conversation would've bored Levi but, strangely, he seemed genuinely interested in learning about how her uncle ran things. Sure, there really wasn't much to run seeing as the shrines upkeep and Kage's residence were provided by the town; however, occasionally, the visitors would have questions about the shrines history that only her uncle could answer.

Her uncles drooping eyelids were a sign to both Levi and Yuki that he would probably soon retire for the night and, within a matter of moments, he excused himself from the room and went to get ready for bed. That just left Levi and Yuki to themselves, their legs almost too tired to get up from their seats. Whining, Yuki buried her head in to one of the pillows on the couch.

"I don't wanna get up!" she cried as she wiggled her feet in the air. Levi chuckled as he rested his head against the back of the recliner.

"Honestly, neither do it." he replied.

Yuki didn't want to fall asleep in the clothes she currently had on; however, the urge to close her eyes and fall asleep was pulling her under...fast...and before she knew it he eyes had begun to close.

"Goodnight Levi." she muttered through half lidded eyes.

"Good night Yuki."


	7. Chapter 7

Trees swayed in the wind, a peaceful scene as an array of sunlight colors loomed over what seemed like an endless sea of forest. The silence of the atmosphere met with the air and played out a beautiful symphony; however, despite how calm it was there were nearing forces that threatened melody. The sight of trees rustling in the distance could be seen as beams of light rippled on the leaves like stones to a quiet lake and, through this rustling, erupted a lone figure zipping through the air in a frenzy with a look of anguish plastered over his face. His body appeared to be injured but it didn't stop him from flying from tree to tree with the cords that shot out from the gear attached to the canisters on his sides. He took a moment to regain his composure on a low hanging branch and, as his hands gripped the edges of the tree, he turned around and watched for any sudden movements behind him. What met him was silence which was an indicator that he had at least a little bit of time to spare before he had to be on the move. Clenching his teeth, he sat himself down with his knees close to his chest and sighed. His eyes seemed somewhat bored but were wide enough to display some emotion on his bored face. He looked down at the ground, studied his distance from it, and rested his back against the base of the tree.

"I can't believe I'm almost out of gas," he said. He rested his arm over his head. A dark chuckle escaped his lips as he stared up at the blue sky above him. "This is the price we pay for freedom. Every time we leave the walls we take this risk." He clenched his fists together then pounded them in to the unforgiving wood near his feet. He buried his head in between his legs and almost let out a sob but quickly stopped himself. He looked at the blades on his sides, pulled them out to inspect them, and quickly stabbed them in to the tree above his head. "Even though I'm useless out here I won't fucking go out like this. I won't let those monsters eat me."

A loud clap of thunder sounded from beneath him. He could feel his heart drumming in his chest as a high pitched sound screamed in to the air. He tried to cover his ears but his arms failed him. All he could do was sit there frozen in his own fear as the sound drew closer and closer to his position, his mind and body fearing the worst as he slowly turned his head to face the ground below him. He half expected to see one of those monsters clinging to the tree with its mouth open and ready to consume him; however, what he saw instead instantly shook his body back in to motion. Near a shallow pool of water, a crackle of electrifying blue light shot out in the distance. He almost thought his eyes were tricking him but the ground violently shaking beneath him told him a different story entirely. In desperation, he held on to the branch as the vicious quake tore out his body and, before he knew it, he found himself falling down to the ground.

"NO!" he screamed as he body collided on to the ground, a quick snap of his back shooting a blinding pain in to his right side. Sprawled out on the ground, he looked down at his side and saw the gash that had formed there. Through clenched teeth, he screamed in pain as he rolled himself over and stared back at the source of the violent energy around him.

His eyes were transfixed on the blue energy in front of him, like it was calling out to him and wanted him to come closer. Loud footsteps could be heard from behind him and, panicking, he began to crawl towards the light. He tried to drown out the monsters nearing footsteps but the panic rolling through his body almost froze him to the ground but he kept pressing towards that blue light. He felt as if once he reached it he would somehow be safe, at least safe from the monster. His his fingers dug in to the dirt as he kept crawling closer and closer towards the light and, as he got closer, the crackle of the light grew larger and larger. His body felt like it would give out at any moment but he had to press on, had to see if his last hope for survival actually kept him alive; however, a shooting pain erupted from the gash on his side and stilled his efforts.

"God dammit!" he screamed as he grabbed at his sides. "This can't be it! I won't fucking go out like this you hear me!" The footsteps were loud enough now to shake his entire body and, as his eyes bore in to the ground below him, a towering shadow overtook him. Not bothering to turn around, he buried his face in to the ground as a loud sob escaped his lips. "This can't be the fucking end!" he pounded his fists in to the ground. Frozen in fear, he laid there expected the monster to grab him and end his life but, after a moment, the shadow dissipated and, as he turned his head up to the sky, he saw that the monster had vanished in to thin air.

"What the-!" Before he could finish, the blue light he'd been crawling to closed the distance and enveloped his body. He felt like he should've tried to move out of the way; however, a sense of peace overtook his mind as a sudden warmth embraced his shaking limbs. The injury on his side was still present but, strangely, didn't hurt as bad as it did before the light had closed on him.

"Is this death?"

His eyes were starting to fail him, could feel the throws of sleep raking over him, and noticed that the light surrounding had formed a spiral around his motionless body. The sounds were loud but, for some reason, it didn't pierce his ears as it did before. He could feel a cold sensation all throughout his body, as if he'd got caught in a torrent of rain and, for the first time that day, he felt as if he were finally safe...

Until he felt his body falling in to a black abyss.

His body was in a free fall as he frantically began to swipe his hands up in to the hair hoping, beyond hope, that there would be something to grab on and stop his descent in to the darkening pits beneath him - but it was useless. His eyes were failing him and he was extremely tired, tired of fighting the overpowering sensation to close those eyes and fall asleep. He released a soft smile, closed his eyes, then placed one fist above his chest.

"I guess this is better way to go."

Then, the darkness consumed his body until there was nothing left but the distant hue of blue energy above him.


	8. Chapter 8

Yuki woke up that morning and, according to the round clock in the living room, it was four a.m. Through half-lidded eyes she tilted her head to look at Levi and, eyes wide with shock, noticed that he was drenched in sweat. He had a pained look on his face and his shoulders were shaking. He was having a nightmare, one that she knew she didn't need to wake him from. She knew first hand the horrors of waking someone up from terrors such as those. On her first day as an intern, she had decided to do just that when one of the patients began shaking in his sleep. Needless to say, it ended with said patient nearly choking her to death and is the biggest reason as to why she never wakes anyone up from nightmares.

"He looks so terrible," she said. She kept her eyes focused on his grieving body, not wanting to move a muscle as she watched him suffer in silence. She combed a hand through her hair, drew her free hand to the ground, and began to lightly graze the wooden floor below with the tip of her finger. "I hope you wake up soon," she whispered as she stared at her silhouette. "You've already been in enough pain."

The nightmare Levi was having went on for what seemed like hours; however, according to the clock only thirty minutes had passed. Time always seemed to slow to a turtles pace when you actually paid attention and, in a moment like this, the slow passage of time was the last thing Yuki wanted her mind to focus on. She wanted Levi's nightmare to end, wanted it to dissipate in to thin air so she could take care of him the only way she knew how. She was a nurse, had spent a great deal of her life taking care of others so this, to her, was second nature; and, for the first time in a while, she actually felt like she could actually make a difference.

When Levi finally opened his eyes they were wide with fear. His hands gripped at the sides of his face as his head turned to the ground. His body was shaking and the loud drum of his heart was pounding in to his ears. The effects of the nightmare weighed down on his body, shook his very core but he couldn't recall a single thing that led him to the shaking mess he now was. It almost didn't feel like a nightmare - more like a memory - and that fact disturbed him greatly. Fragments of who he was were lost in the hidden spaces of his mind and he was too weak to put them back together.

"Are you okay Levi?"

He gasped. Turning his face, he met Yuki's worried eyes and, as he moved a shaking hand on to his shoulder, he drew his face to the ground once more in an attempt to hide her from the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes. He felt so weak but, in no way, wanted to bother her with his problems but he still found himself shaking his head to her question. He wasn't okay, not in the slightest. The fear from the dream was settling in and, like a frightened child, it had bore in to his mind and, like a wet towel, was wringing out what little peace he had left. Slowly, he looked back up towards Yuki and attempted to send a small smile her direction; however, the smile quickly broke as the emotions he'd been bottling up erupted from his eyes and down his cheeks.

Slightly shocked, Yuki laid there for a moment in a daze as she watched Levi break down in front of her. It almost made her regret not waking him up earlier; but, instead of focusing on what would've happened, she rolled off the couch and rushed to his side. By then, his body had slid to the floor and, with his back resting against the end of the recliner, he'd fallen in to a tearful mess before her. With her knees firmly on the ground, she drew out her arms and wrapped them around his shaking body. On instinct, he buried his head in to the crook of her neck as the tears he'd been holding back viciously fell down his eyes.

"I...I..." He stumbled on his words as his sobs grew louder and longer. His grip on her neck grew tighter, almost had Yuki gasping for air but, for the life of her, couldn't bare the thought of releasing the hold he had on her. "I'm sorry," he continued as he nuzzled himself in to her neck. "I can't remember what happened but..." Yuki didn't let him finish. She held on to his neck with one hand and with the other she grabbed his chin and turned him up to face her.

"Everything's going to be okay." she replied as she massaged the back of his neck. By then, she had a clear view of the burning tears that were spilling down his face. He looked so lost, like he'd been lost for a long time and was just now realizing how broken he was without the memories he needed to find. Slowly, she pushed his head back in to her neck and let him continue on with his tears.

"Your memories will come back," she said while playing with a few strands of his raven hair. "You just have to give it time." She was trying her best to comfort him and, for the most part, it was working - but he still had to shake off the fears he had in that moment. That nightmare, even though he couldn't remember it, felt too real for his mind to imagine. Even if most of it wasn't real, there were small truths inside of the dream that were sending shivers down his spine.

Yuki's kind gesture of comfort was enough to calm his tears in to the quiet sobs that they now were while buried in to her embrace. His mind had earlier been trapped in a torrential storm, a downpour of horrific emotions that were slowly killing his mind, and she was the lighthouse leading him to safety. He didn't understand why her presence calmed him as much as it did but he didn't think to hardly on it, only enjoyed the comfort she was giving him and the pleasure that filled his heart. Moments later, after regaining his composure, he looked back up in to her tearful eyes and let out a soft chuckle.

"Thank you." he softly replied. She laced her hands with his and began to wipe away his tears with the sleeve of his shirt. Then, without warning, she pinched him on the nose and, as a giggle erupted from her lips, she threw an arm over his shoulder and let him rest his head on her shoulder again.

"No problem," she began. She rubbed the top of his head again and sighed. "You scared the shit out of me." Closing his eyes, Levi drew her closer in to his embrace and sighed. A blush crept on to her face but, this time, she didn't attempt to hide it from him. Honestly, hiding something like that wasn't even possible right now, considering how close they were to each other so she simply decided to let it be and deal with the fluster of emotions that had zipped through her body. Noticing her blush, Levi looked away from her and began to pull away from her embrace. He didn't want to, still needed the warmth of her body soothing his fears but, before he could even move an inch, he felt her hands draw him closer.

"Don't worry about it," she said as the blush on her cheeks settled. "I haven't been held like that in a long time. It was just surprising." Silent, Levi nodded his head and yawned.

"Just tell me if I'm making you uncomfortable." Yuki turned her direction to the coffee table and, eyes searching, looked around for the remote control to the television in the middle of the room. Once the remote was found, she swiped it up and gripped it in her hands like the hilt of a sword.

"I know exactly what we need right now?" she said as a finger pressed in to one of buttons on the remote.

"And what's that?" he asked. He was utterly lost at the moment, had no idea what she was even talking about but, seeing that she understood his confusion, she directed his gaze to the television and patted him on the back.

"We need movies! and lots of em'"

Her eyes focused on the screen and began to carefully search through the selection of choices she had on the Netflix account she'd pulled up. These days, most of the films that Netflix had weren't that good and, with the star rating system gone she didn't even have a way to find out if other users liked the films; however, she wasn't searching for a "good" movie to watch. She wanted to find the silliest thing in her collection, watch it, and spend the rest of the morning laughing until she and Levi were both rolling on the floor. Levi was still quite confused with her actions but, nevertheless, watched as she browsed through her collection. He was still a bit shaken from before but having her next to him was enough to hide those fears for the time being.

After settling on one of the cheesiest films she could find, a science fiction movie called "Sharknado", she sat the remote down in front of her feet and yawned. She was still quite tired, seeing as she'd only had about three hours of sleep but she decided the movie alone would be worth the lack of sleep she was about to have. Heck, even if they fell asleep while watching the film, she'd be happy knowing that she was close enough to comfort him in case the nightmares returned.

"Alright! Lemme see those sharks!" Chuckling, she threw her arm over Levi's shoulder and laid her head down on his shoulder. She didn't know why she was being so forward with him but, for some reason, she felt so comfortable around him and, strangely, he felt the same way. He looked down at Yuki's eyes, eyes that were lazily focused on the glaring television screen, and smiled. This woman that he'd just met, the woman who had saved his life, was someone he wanted to know more about.


	9. Chapter 9

This is just going to be a quick filler chapter before I start getting deep in to the story. I'm so excited that people are actually reading my story. I hope the moment's between the pair are getting better. I just want their relationship to have a really strong foundation. Even if it takes chapters and chapters of mundane fluffy moments, I'd rather have those insignificant moments define their love then the heated acts of passion that I normally see in any Levi/oc story.

I want to thank the people who've been reading my story. I know you aren't commenting but having people actually look at it is enough for me. Still, I would appreciate comments so I can improve.

Love you lots,

Halikidito!

Yuki and Levi had watched about thirty minutes of the film before falling asleep next to each other. Her head rested upon his shoulder and laid atop her head with his arm resting behind her back. Their drew comfort from one another in a way that was hard to comprehend, seeing as they'd only just met. Though their situations were quite different, they had many things in common. Levi was searching for his memories, searching for a way to mend his broken sense of self and Yuki was their to repair the self-esteem she'd let shatter over the years.

It was an adorable sight for Yuki's uncle to see when he walked out of his room that morning, such a nice vision to see that he almost didn't have the heart to wake them up; but, he knew that he had to wake them. He had many things to discuss with them and, as impatient as he was, didn't have time to wait around for them. So, he slowly walked over to Yuki's side, knelt down beside her, and gently began to tug at her shoulder.

"Yuki," he said as he rubbed the top of her head. "It's time to get up." Unresponsive to his actions Yuki, still asleep, nuzzled herself in to the crook of Levi's neck and wrapped her arm around his chest. She clung on to him like a soft pillow and, still in the throws of sleep, held on to him as tight as she could. Her uncle was about to walk over and attempt to wake Levi but Yuki's actions were enough to draw him out of his slumber.

With his eyes partially open, he titled his face towards Yuki and felt a familiar heat rise on to his face. As he recalled the events that led them to this position, he felt heartbeat grow faster and faster. He'd been a reckless mess before her but, thankfully, she didn't judge him. She simply gave him the comfort he needed after the nightmare he'd had. He placed a hand on top of her head and looked up at her uncle, the blush still blatantly obvious on his face and, hoping her uncle wouldn't get the wrong idea, he began to form an apology on his lips; however, Kage interrupted him before he could even get the words out.

Laughing, Kage lightly slapped Levi on the shoulder. He looked down at his niece, back up to Yuki, then towards the window. Beams of sunlight had begun to shine through the blinds and the faint sounds of birds chirping in the distance could be heard.

Levi was honestly at a loss for words as he stared at her uncles back. The situation was embarrassing and brought an immense blush to his face but, as he stared at Yuki's body pressed up against his, he felt a sense of peace still throughout his entire being - a calming sensation that he didn't want to part from at the moment. Still, he had some worry in his mind as her uncle spoke to him. He didn't want him to get the wrong impression, didn't want her uncle to think he was some lecherous man with ill intentions; his worries, however, were stilled once her uncle began to humorously speak to him.

"You don't have to worry," he said with his face still turned towards the window. "That's just how she is. She spends more time worrying about other people than she does herself." He looked down at his niece, a melancholic smile forming on his lips as he watched her sleeping form gripping at Levi's stomach; then, with his back turned away from the pair, he slowly started to head to the kitchen. "I'll let you be the one to wake her."

Bidding Levi a silent goodbye, Kage began his journey to the kitchen leaving a flustered Levi by himself with Yuki's still sleeping presence. He stared in to her hazel eyes, could hear her shallow breaths in the silence that stilled around them, and noticed the unconscious smile that she had on her soft lips. He didn't want to wake her but knew that the position they were in couldn't be held much longer. They needed to get their day moving at a speed that her uncle approved of and, at the rate they were going, they weren't making much progress at all. Slowly, he placed a hand atop her head and brushed away the stray strands of hair that had fallen in front of her face.

"Yuki," he said in a hushed voice. He placed the palm of his hand against her cheek and tugged on her shoulder. "It's time to wake up." He waited a few moments then, after receiving no response from her, slid the hand that he had on her cheek under her chin and tilted her face up to meet his solemn gaze. The sensation, finally, was enough to slowly shoot her eyes open and, as she did, she met Levi's eyes and let out a sudden yelp before quickly pushing herself away from his embrace. With her arms wrapped around her chest, she looked to the ground as she attempted to calm herself down.

"S...Sorry," she stuttered. She could feel a quick heat rising to her face and, with as flustered as she way, she had no way of getting rid of it. She could only focus on the beat of her heart as she stared at her looming shadow on the wooden floor beneath her. During the movie, she'd had no problem with Levi holding her; however, that was only because she knew she'd been comforting him from the nightmare he'd had. She hadn't planned on falling asleep with him pressed against her but it had happened and now, strangely, she was extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation.

Before her thoughts could deepen, she felt Levi pull her in to his chest. His arms wrapped around her back and, as she looked in to his eyes, she noticed how his lips had curved in to a beautiful smile - a smile that caused her blush to deepen.

"Thank you for taking care of me," he said. He gave her back a squeeze then slid the palm of his hand down the small of her back then ran the other hand behind her neck and turned her face up to him. He took a moment to study her face and the flustered expression she had and, after moving the palm of his hand to her cheek, brushed the tips of his fingers against the bridge of her nose then, suppressing what seemed like laughter, pinched her nostrils together.

"What the hell!" She shouted as she grabbed for his hand. She could only reach for the air, seeing as Levi had quickly shot his hand over his head and, now full with laughter, had his free hand wrapped around both of her arms to prevent her from moving. Scoffing, she attempted to free herself from his grasp but it only resulted in Levi tightening the grip he had on her.

"Now you're just doing it on purpose," she muttered. Smirking, he nodded his head and released her from his hold. Slowly, he ruffled his hands though her hair and chuckled. He had a playful look in his eyes as he stared at her, one that she caught on to quickly and, as she felt herself relax in to his soothing touch, she turned her gaze to the ground and chuckled along with him and lightly rapped him on the chest with one of her hands.

"I take it you aren't a morning person?" He asked. She shook her head and turned her body so that it was leaning against the end of the couch and, while hoisting her feet on to the coffee table, she threw an arm over his shoulder and released another yawn.

"Nope." With that mental note stored for a later day, Levi looked over to the window and watched as a tree gently swayed in the distance. After watching this sight for a few moments, he took in a deep breath then looked back at Yuki.

"So, what are our plans for today?" he asked. He honestly didn't mind staying inside for the remainder of the day; however, due to her uncles insistence that he wake her up, he assumed that spending a relaxing day indoors wouldn't be an option. Tilting her head to her side, Yuki placed the knuckles of her hand underneath her chin and begin to think.

"I honestly don't know," she began. Rubbing the back of her neck, she looked down the hallway and saw that her uncle had his head peeking out from the kitchen. She had no clue as to how long he'd been in that position - and honestly didn't want to know - but knew that they had to get a head start on their activities for the day. "We need to go talk to my uncle."

Nodding his head in agreement, Levi helped himself up then reached for Yuki's hands to help her do the same. He could feel his legs somewhat fall from beneath him but he knew he didn't need to sleep any longer. After regaining his strength, the pair walked down the hallway to discuss living arrangements with Yuki's uncle.


	10. Chapter 10

Here is the next chapter of my story! It's longer than the others so I consider that a success. I wan't to thank everyone reading this story. It really means a lot to me. IF you have any requests feel free to write them in the comments because I would really appreciate them.

I've been rereading some of my previous chapters and realized that I haven't even made it through an entire day yet! I know my story is moving at an AGONIZINGLY slow pace but It'll be worth it once I bring Levi and Yuki together...in more ways then one (*blushes*).

I plan on having plenty of lemons in my story but am extremely nervous about writing them. I want to write it but I also don't want it to take away from the story. Pointless sex in stories are so annoying to me because it seems like people just write a few chapters then BANG they're fucking in a closet screaming profanities. My story will not be like that and if you are reading this waiting for my character to have her fantasies fulfilled by the great Levi Ackerman then you need to stop reading because I want my lemon, when I write it, to be heart felt and emotional. I'll make it as steamy as I can but I won't let it take away from the story just to make my readers happy. I can do one shots if you'd like though!

Have a good day,

Halikidito!

After sitting on the floor for what seemed like hours, Yuki and Levi finally made their way down the hallway and in to the kitchen. Yuki's uncle stood above the stove with his hand gripping the end of a skillet and, though they couldn't see what he was cooking, the smell alone of her uncles delicious culinary skills was enough to make her small mouth water. Startled by their sudden arrival, Kage looked at the pair through the corner of his eyes and pointed at a set of plates near the counter beside him with his free hand.

"Yuki," he began as he gave the skillet a quick shake. "Grab those plates and forks and set the table." He titled his head so that he was facing Levi then pointed towards the drawer above the kitchen sink. "Grab some cups from there," he continued while looking back at Yuki. "I have tea in the fridge. Go grab it and get it all ready." Turning back to the stove, he reached for a nearby spoon and began to slowly stir the food. "The food will be ready soon, so hurry and get all of it done okay." Nodding their heads, they proceeded to do as they were told and, within a matter of minutes, had the plates and everything else her uncle had asked for on the table and ready to go.

"Are you having a good morning?" Yuki asked as she took her seat at the table. Looking back at her, her Uncle gave her a swift nod before returning to the food.

"I'm doing all right," he said. He gave the skillet another quick shake then reached out for a container of salt on a nearby spice rack. "I should be the one asking you that question," he continued while adding the salt. "You fell asleep in a really uncomfortable position."

There was a small hint of amusement in his words as he spoke to her and, as he removed the heat from the stove, he turned his body towards the table with his arms crossed over his chest. Blushing furiously, Yuki hid her face from her uncles gaze but, in doing so, found herself showing off her embarrassment to Levi. She turned her eyes to the floor, crossed one arm over her shoulder, and silently began to whine to herself.

"You saw that," she muttered as her nails dug in to her neck. Nodding his head, her uncle grabbed the end of the skillet and, with his free hand, grabbed the spoon he'd used earlier and made his way to the table. After setting the skillet in the center of the table, he took a seat in between Yuki and Levi and erupted in to a fit of laughter as he began to reach for a fork.

"You're one hard woman to wake up," he said as he slapped her on the back. Shooting her head up, she shot him an evil glare then quickly grabbed her own fork and, while trying to calm her rising anger, she picked at the steaming contents of the skillet and took a huge bite. It was hot - extremely hot - but she didn't want to give her uncle the satisfaction of knowing he'd successfully teased her so, with her mouth closed and her eyes as wide as saucers, she gulped the food down then took a long drink of her tea.

"I guess you should've tried harder!" she shouted as she clenched the cup in her hands. Placing her cup back down, she traced her fingers around the rim then, her anger dissipating, turned towards her uncle and smiled. "Remember how hard it was to wake me up for school?"

Laughing, her uncle took a drink of his own tea before grabbing his plate and shoveling what looked like a mixture of eggs, bacon, and sausage on to it. Grabbing another plate, he did the same then placed it in front of Levi.

"How could I forget that nightmare?" he asked as he handed Levi his fork. Placing one hand on Levi's shoulder, he pointed at his niece and chuckled. "She was a really deep sleeper back in the day, so much so that it once took me and her aunt, god rest her soul, nearly forty five minutes to wake her up. We ended up having to pour a bucket of water over her head and, surely enough, that woke her up really fast." Wrinkling her nose, Yuki looked away from Levi and her uncle and scoffed. Her childhood memories weren't that clear, seeing as it had been over ten years since she'd even needed to remember them; however, she could remember that day quite clearly. She remembered how cold the water was as her uncle, nearly hysterical, dumped it all over her body.

"I was thirteen!" She exclaimed as she grabbed her plate and served herself some food. "I was a deep sleeper back then."

"And you aren't now?" Her uncle asked as he shoved a forkful of food in to his mouth. Shaking her head, Yuki began to stir at her food with her fork.

"I'm always on call at the hospital so I quickly got used to other people waking me up." Combing a hand through her hair, she giggled then took another bite a food. "I guess being back home really messed up the schedule I had going for me...among other things."

She could've mentioned that the lack of sleep she had the day before led to her earlier comatose state but she decided to leave that part out. Levi didn't need her to remind him of the events that led him to this table with the two of them. He only needed to focus on making the most out of today and definitely needed to take slow steps towards recovering his memories.

"Hospital?" Levi asked as he quietly ate his food. Yuki smiled and nodded her head. He had a curious look in his eyes as he asked her his question but almost felt bad for asking it when Yuki, eyes wide, turned her head down towards her plate. She knew she'd have to talk about her job but, since her job was the reason for all her strife, she honestly didn't want to delve in to those emotions just yet; however, the look on his face gave her the courage to move the conversation forward.

"I'm a registered nurse at a hospital in Osaka," she slowly began as she pushed a sausage around with her fork. "I've been working in their intensive care unit for around five months but it took years of studying and interning to make it there." Stabbing the sausage with her fork, she took a small bite out of the end, then dabbed the side of her mouth with her sleeve.

"How many years did you study?" Levi asked, still wanting to know more. Sighing, Yuki ate what was left of her sausage, placed her fork on to her plate, then propped her elbows on to the table. His curiosity was quite adorable, and the way his eyes would almost sparkle as he listened made it impossible for her to deny him an answer to any of his questions.

"I studied for twelve years," she said in response to his question. Levi's eyes widened at her response, almost as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing, and before he could ask her yet another question, she erupted in to a fit of laughter that left him quite confused.

"Studying that long isn't uncommon in my profession," she continued. She began to play with a stray hair that had fallen on her face and turned to look out the window above the sink. "After graduating high school, I got a scholarship to Tokyo University and studied there for four years before moving to Osaka to train as a nurse." She looked towards her uncle and gave him an apologetic stare, almost as if she wasn't sure how he'd respond to her next few statements. in order to save up for her nursing classes, she had to take time off from her studies and get a job. Instead of moving back home, she'd rented out an apartment and worked full-time as a waitress at a nearby bar. The money wasn't great but it was enough to help her achieve her goal.

"Everything okay Yuki?" he asked as he casually sipped at his tea. She nodded her head and looked away from him.

"Everything's fine. I just don't want to upset you with what I'm about to say." Looking at her through the corner of his eye, her uncle gave her a curt nod then released a soft chuckle before setting his cup down on the table. She honestly didn't know how her uncle would react, seeing as she never visited and rarely called him; even when she called, she always had something else to do besides talking to the only family she had left. Any negative reaction from her uncle was well deserved.

"If it's about you renting out an apartment in Osaka, then I already know about it." Yuki looked at her uncle with wide eyes, her mouth almost hanging to the floor as the revelation was made. He'd known all this time, and she'd felt so guilty for keeping that secret from him throughout the years.

"You...you knew?" she asked. He nodded his head. In one quick motion, he pushed his chair closer to hers and, throwing an arm over her shoulder, pulled her in for a hug.

"Of course I knew. I heard you talking about it with Miyako the last time you visited." Pulling Yuki's face in to his chest, he looked back to Levi, then began to ruffle his niece's hair. "She thought she was being sneaky but this ol' man has his ways." Softly pounding his chest, Yuki pulled herself away from him and helped herself up from the chair. Grabbing her plate, with half the food still left on her plate, she walked to the trash can and scraped the remaining contents in to it before discarding it in to the sink.

"You should've told me you knew," she said with her back facing away from them. Out of the corner of her eye, she gazed at Levi and saw a sad expression form on his face. She'd have to keep herself quiet on this matter for a while, at least until she could talk to her uncle about all the guilt she'd been bottling up over the years. She didn't want to draw Levi in to that mess. As it stood, he had enough to worry about on his own. Letting him in on her problems would just add to the stress he already had so, turning to face them, she gave her uncle a small smile and walked back to the table. Slowly, she walked up to her uncle so that she was standing behind his chair and, before he could react, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek.

"We'll save that conversation for another time, mmkay?" Her uncle nodded his head and, still locked in Yuki's embrace, turned to look at Levi.

"So, what are your plans for today?" He asked.

"We don't really have anything scheduled," Yuki began while playfully tugging at her uncles cheeks. "I assumed you had something planned for us, seeing as you desperately wanted us to get up." Swatting away her hands, her uncle sat himself up and headed over to the sink with his plate. After placing it in the sink, he looked out the window and noticed how beautiful it looked outside. He turned to look at the pair and shook his head.

"I just wanted to wake your lazy asses up," he began as he turned on the faucet and poured in some dish washing detergent. Scowling at her uncle, Yuki folded her arms over her chest and stuck out her tongue.

"You'd be lazy too on only four hours of sleep old man."

"I'm not that old," he chided while scrubbing away the grime on his plate. "I'll have you know, fifty is all the rage in this part of town." Yuki rolled her eyes and walked over to him with the skillet in one hand and her cup in another. After placing them in to the foamy sink, she reached out for a few of the suds, then washed away the grease that had collected on to her hands.

"Whoever told you that must've been yanking your chain dear uncle," Yuki retorted as she swatted some water in to her uncles face. Blinking away the droplets of water that had gotten in to his eyes, her uncle rolled his eyes then continued on with washing the dishes.

"You still haven't answered my question," he began as he looked over at Levi. "Since I doubt she'll come up with anything anytime soon, maybe you can help me out here."

Levi had been so caught up watching the conversation between Yuki and her uncle that he hadn't had enough time to even think about what he would do today. He honestly didn't want to think about what would take place today because, in his mind, he knew he'd have to find somewhere else to stay for the night. He didn't want to abuse their hospitality but also knew that he was entirely in the dark about what to do and where to go to find a suitable living space. Yuki's uncle, noticing that Levi had momentarily spaced out, splashed his face with some water from the sink.

"It ain't rocket science!" he exclaimed while using a towel to wipe the water off his hands. Scoffing, he threw the towel in to the sink and let out a long sigh before pulling his wallet out from his back pocket. "Seeing as the two of you can't decide on anything, I'll be the one to get this day rolling." He grabbed Yuki's wrist and placed his wallet in to her hands, a stern expression forming on his face as he looked in to her eyes. "I want you to use this to buy him some decent clothes and the cheapest futon money can buy, you hear me. If he's going to sleep in the living room, he might as well be comfortable." Not understanding her uncles words, Yuki looked over at Levi then back at her uncle then, finally getting it, she wrapped her arms tightly around her uncles waist.

"You're the best!" she exclaimed as she waved the wallet in the air for Levi to see. "We're going to have so much fun today!" Levi didn't understand what was going on, only knew that Yuki was waving her uncles wallet around and had an adorable expression on her face. Quickly, she walked over to where Levi was sitting and knelt beside him.

"What's a futon?" he whispered. Giving him a confused glare of her own, Yuki ruffled her hands through his hair and laughed.

"We're using some of my uncles money to buy you a bed silly!" She pinched the bridge of his nose and gave him a soft smile.

Finally realizing everything, Levi turned his face away from Yuki and looked down at the floor. He was honestly at a loss for words as he took everything in. These people, people who knew absolutely nothing about him, were willing to let him stay with them. It almost brought tears to his eyes but these tears were easy to hold off and, instead of allowing those tears to spill, he took Yuki's hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. He was quite thankful for their hospitality, even though he knew he probably didn't deserve it.

"Thank you," he said as he laced his fingers in to her hand. "That really means a lot to me."

"Think nothing of it." She replied as she released her hand from his. She took a moment to look at his injured side then stood herself up. "It just wouldn't feel right having you out there own your own," she continued as she stared down in to his solemn eyes. "You need a strong support system and, even though we're strangers, we're the best chance you have at getting your memories back so you're stuck with us."

He couldn't help the heat from rising on to his cheeks as he stared in to her eyes. Like a magnet, he was drawn in to her gaze and he couldn't escape. All he could do was think about this woman and how her kind spirit was calling out to him in a way he couldn't understand. A full day hadn't even passed and he'd felt many confusing emotions, feelings he knew he'd never find in his memories no matter how hard he tried. Somehow, he knew these kinds of feelings were completely new to him and, for some unknown reason, he wanted to replace these memories with the ones that had his mind torn in two. He knew he needed those memories to understand who he was and where he came from but, for now, he honestly didn't care.

"So," Yuki said as she stood in front of him. "Do you think you can handle lil ol me?" Chuckling, Levi helped himself up from the table and smiled.

"I think I'll be able to manage."

"All right then," Yuki exclaimed while clapping her hands together. "Let's go shopping!"


	11. Chapter 11

With a day of shopping ahead of them, Yuki and Levi quickly left the kitchen to get ready. Still without any clothes of her own, Yuki decided to go through the clothes that were boxed up in her old room and, after settling on a plain black shirt and a faded pair of jeans, left the messy room and headed to the bathroom to get ready. Without any clothes of his own, Levi still wore her uncles low hanging shirt and, not wanting to take him outside wearing that monstrosity, forced her uncle to go through his closet to find something a bit more suitable for Levi to wear. Her uncle was quite a bit taller than Levi, could easily see over his head, and the prospect of wearing any of her uncles jeans was completely out of the question; so, after searching through many shirts and shorts, her uncle settled on a pair of running shorts that he could no longer fit in to and a white shirt that, though loose fitting on Levi's figure, didn't look like a dress on him.

Holding the clothes that were given to him, Levi patiently waited for Yuki to finish her shower then, after waiting for a good half hour, was finally able to go in to the bathroom to prepare himself for the day. When he first stepped in to the shower, he didn't understand what to do and, not wanting to confuse Yuki with any more of his questions, decided to play it by ear and learn for himself. After a few unsuccessful attempts, attempts that either left him freezing or scalding hot, he finally got the water to a temperature that suited his body and quickly took his shower. Strangely, he felt a huge wave of relief wash over him as he cleaned himself and, as the water rained down on him, a small hint of a memory returned to him. It wasn't a huge revelation but it was enough to put his mind at ease as he cleansed himself with the mint body wash that her uncle had provided them. When he was finished, he reached for the towel he'd hung on a nearby rack and, wrapping it around his waist, walked towards the vanity and began to dry his hair with the other towel he'd sat on top of it. Feeling rejuvenated, he put the clothes, opened the door, and stepped outside to meet an excited Yuki waiting for him.

"So," she said as she raised her fist in to the air. "Are you ready to go shopping?" She was extremely enthusiastic about the expedition they were about to embark on, mainly because she knew they'd be returning to Osaka to shop for his clothes and, since they'd be in Osaka for a least a small portion of the day, she wanted to spend some of that time visiting her friend. She'd sent Miyako a text earlier before taking her shower telling her to meet her at one of the shops nearby the hospital by noon, so that gave them plenty of time to board the train and have some time to walk around the city before meeting up with her.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," he replied as he stared at himself in a nearby mirror. "Hopefully we can find some clothes that actually fit me." Though the clothes fit better than the shirt he'd been wearing earlier, he still felt extremely uncomfortable in them and wanted to wear something that didn't make him look like a child. Laughing, Yuki patted him on the head then proceeded to walk to the front door.

"We'll definitely find something in Osaka," she said as she checked the time on her phone. "But we need to hurry or we'll miss the train." Nodding his head, Levi walked up to her and said their goodbyes to her uncle as they stepped outside.

Rather than have her uncle drive them, the pair decided a brisk walk to the train station was better suited for the light mood that they were in. There was a slight overcast above them as they trotted along the path but it wasn't ominous in the slightest, just enough to shield the blinding sunlight from their eyes and, due to their pale complexions, protection from the suns smoldering rays was a godsend. Yuki had put on sunscreen before they left but, even so, her skin never failed well on sunny days; judging by how fair Levi's skin appeared, she assumed it was the same for him.

After walking for nearly ten minutes, Yuki noticed a familiar set of cherry blossom petals scattered along the path and, looking to her left, saw the cherry blossoms leading to the waterfall where she had found him the day before. She tried to hide the image from him mind but, strangely, could only stop in her tracks and stare at the waves of water that fell from the mountaintop and in to the pool below. It was as if her eyes were transfixed to that very position, could only focus on the ripples that echoed in the water. Needless to say, the sight was breathtakingly beautiful but also sent a nightmarish shiver down her spine as she recalled the events that had taken place there. With her arms hanging to her sides, she clenched her fists and turned to look at the ground and, not even noticing that Levi was quite a ways ahead of her.

When he did notice that she was no longer by her side, he turned himself around that face a rather melancholic sight. He wasn't sure, seeing as he could barely make her out in the distance; but, judging by how still she was, he assumed something had upset her. Rushing to her side, he quickly closed the distance between them and, his eyes now focused on what had startled her, took her in to his arms for a long, heartfelt embrace. He had been so focused on the path ahead of him that he hadn't even noticed where they actually were and, sadly, it seemed to have a greater effect on her than it did on him. Even now, while holding her in his arms, he felt no terror as he looked at the waterfall. In fact, strangely, it sent a strong sense of peace throughout his body as he gazed in to its calming depths. With one hand, he combed a stray hair behind her ear and, with the other, tilted her chin up to face him.

"You're an idiot," he began while chuckling. he pulled her face in the crook of his neck and slowly began to massage the back of her neck. Nodding her head, she laughed against his skin then pulled herself away from him. The intense moment she'd just had, now only a memory for her to hide in the back of her mind, had finally passed and now, feeling much better, had the courage to regain her composure and continue towards the train station.

She didn't need to focus on the negative energy that had momentarily frozen her body. Levi had done enough to calm her fears and, noticing how calm and collected he'd been, knew that he was having an easier time dealing with all of this than she was. Perhaps the stress she'd carried with her from her job made her more succeptible to the emotional dangers shadowing over them but, as frightened as she was, she knew that they needed to focus on the day ahead of them and have fun.

"Let's focus on having a fun time together," she said while linking her arm with his and, looking to the clouds above them, she smiled. Nodding his head in agreement, they both continued walking towards the train station.

When they reached the station, before purchasing their tickets to the city, Yuki met with the female attendant and, embarrassed by the situation, politely told her that she'd return later to pick up the luggage that she had forgotten. At first, the woman was slightly hesitant because of the policy they had against storing luggage for their customers but, since she knew her uncle quite well, she made an exception. Then, after purchasing their tickets, they boarded the train (with Levi being quite reluctant at first) and took their seats. There weren't many people on board today so that left Yuki and Levi enough room to comfortably sit across from one another and enjoy the view from their windows. Yuki paid no mind to the scenery as she leaned her had against the glass pane but, as she watched Levi's curious eyes staring outside, she noticed how everything seemed so astonishing to him, almost as if he'd been blind his entire life and was just seeing color for the first time. Covering a hand over her mouth, she released a small laugh then propped her legs on to the empty seat beside him. Startled, Levi looked at her through the corner of his eyes.

"What's so funny?" he asked while tracing his fingers against the window.

"I didn't mean to laugh," she said while resting her hands on to her lap. "You're just too adorable..."His eyes widened a fraction but, before he could respond, she frantically waved her hands in front of her face. "What I meant to say was that the way you look at things is adorable." she continued, a small blush rising to her cheeks as she let out a nervous laugh. Scoffing, Levi crossed his arms over his chest and turned to look at her with a look of irritation on his face.

"You make me sound like a child." he retorted, clearly annoyed by the words she'd chosen to describe him.

"Well," she began, her eyes studying the scowl he had on his face. "You certainly look as huffy as one." In an attempt to lighten his current mood, she placed the tips of her fingers against the sides of her cheeks, pinched them slightly, and stuck her tongue out at him. "See," she continued, her speech somewhat slurred. "This is what a happy face looks like!"

Under her breath he muttered something about her "looking insane" and, for a brief moment, she had a hurt look on her face but that look of hurt was quickly replaced with a smile as she watched Levi erupt in to a fit of laughter. His laughter, the smiles he had on his face, and the way his eyes would light up each and every time his lips curved were also quite adorable to her as well but, knowing it would probably sour the mood again, she kept that bit of information to herself. Somehow, in the back of her mind, she knew he hadn't had much to smile or laugh at before losing his memories. Being able to draw these emotions out of him, regardless of how long she'd known him, made her feel somewhat special and it caused her heart to swell.

"I think you're the one who looks like a child." Resting his arms behind his back, he turned his eyes towards the window once more and allowed the scenery to calm his mind.

"Whatever you say," she said.

Reaching in to her purse, she pulled out her phone and began to search for shops to visit. It was honestly quite hard to find a store, seeing as the number of shops that actually tailored to men were few and far between; but, after scrolling through four or five pages, she found one nearby the cafe she and Miyako had eaten at two days earlier. The best thing about this store was that it had a wide variety of clothes for Levi to try on, clothes that would hopefully suit his small frame. After settling on the store, she quickly searched for a nearby mattress store that delivered and, thankfully, she found one almost instantly. Luckily, for her, they also allowed online purchases so, after looking at a few futons on the web page, she settled on the cheapest one she could find and arranged for it to be delivered to her uncles home by the end of the day.

"Almost there," she said while looking at the time on her phone. It was nearing ten a.m so that gave them enough time to get him his clothes and give them time to spare before meeting up with her friend. Stretching her arms and wriggling her toes, she laid her head against the window once more and sighed. "I'm ready to get off this train. My legs are starting to hurt."

Levi looked down at her legs, up to her face, then at her ankles. Then, slowly, he wrapped one hand around the her knee and started to massage the tension that had been building there. Blushing, she looked away from him but, when he rubbed against a particularly sore muscle, she winced in pain.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Biting her lip, still slightly in pain, she moved her legs away from him and back on to the floor. He had a look of guilt on his face as she moved away from him, as if he'd gone to far with his actions but she quickly shook that fear away.

"I'm not mad at you if that's what you're wondering." She rubbed at her ankle and gave him a quick smile. "I just didn't realize how much pain my legs were in until now." Satisfied with her answer, though still somewhat unsure, he laid his head back and closed his eyes.

"If I ever make you uncomfortable, please tell me." Nodding her head, she rested her head back as well and, for the remainder of the ride back to Osaka, the pair fell in to a comfortable silence that had a peaceful effect on them both.

Two days prior, Yuki had been on this exact train returning to Kyoto to stay with her uncle and was now returning with a man she knew nothing about, only knew that she had an instant connection with him that was hard to explain. It was almost too surreal to explain, as if she'd been transported in to a movie and was playing out a romantic fantasy but the reality of their situation was that this wasn't a movie; for, if it was, he'd have his memories back and they'd be flying off to Vegas to elope after days of knowing each other. Those kinds of relationships depicted in films disgusted her. They were always centered around the idea that love at first sight could actually exist outside the screen and, for some rare individuals, it actually happened; but, for most, true love took time and effort and she knew that was something she'd never have. She'd had her fair share of romantic partners in the past but none of her relationships ever made it far enough for her to consider loving the other individual. Her desire to succeed as a nurse far outweighed the needed for anything remotely resembling a love life and, now, she slightly regretted all of it. If she'd tried harder, got out more, then maybe - just maybe - she might've found someone worth her love - but that was all in the past. She couldn't regret it now. All she could do was move forward.

Strangely enough, however, she wanted to know more about Levi, even though the very idea of understanding his past was impossible at the moment. He was certainly attractive but that reason alone wasn't enough to warrant the curiosity she had about who he was. He was so mysterious but, at the same time, she felt as if she'd known him her whole life. It was a strange feeling, one she decided she didn't need to focus too hard on; for, if she did, she'd probably drive herself crazy.

They reached Osaka nearly thirty minutes later and, quickly wanting to stretch her legs, Yuki helped herself up and shot her arms up in to the air.

"We're finally free!" she exclaimed, eyes dancing around as she giddily bounced up and down. "Now it's time for shopping, shopping, and more shopping!"

"You sound excited," he said while popping his knuckles. Cautiously, he looked out the window and studied the groups of people walking by. In his eyes, it seemed like a stampede of people rushing through like a pack of wild horses but this was second nature to Yuki. She wasn't born a city girl but, after years of living here, she'd quickly gotten herself accommodated to the lifestyle required of one.

"It'll be overwhelming at first," she began while holding her hand out to him. "But if you stick with me everything will be all right." Nodding his head, he grabbed her hand and helped himself up. Then, they made their way to the exit and proceeded to walk around the city.

There were so many things for Levi to take in, things he couldn't understand but also amazed him at the same time. Everything felt quite rushed to him but, at the same time, it was also peaceful. There were buildings that kissed the clouds, aromas that sent his senses in to overdrive, and many vehicles as far as his eyes could see; however, the massive amount of people scattered throughout the city made it hard for his eyes to see past what was in front of him. Throughout their entire walk, Yuki held tightly on to his hand in fear that, if she let go, she'd lose sight of him and have to spend the remainder of the day trying to find him. So, she held on as tightly as she could and, after walking a few blocks, they arrived at the shop she'd earlier found on her phone. It seemed quiet enough, just a simple shop that sold nothing but clothes for men and, judging by the lack of people inside, it seemed as though they'd be able to purchase clothes for Levi with relative ease.

"I hope we can find something for you to wear in there," she said while staring at the suits on display in the front window.

"Anything will be better than what I'm wearing now." Swatting him on the arm, Yuki reached a hand out to pinch his cheek and chuckled.

"It was certainly better than the dress you had on earlier."

Reminding him of the shirt he'd had on before made him mentally cringe. Somehow, the idea of wearing something like that in public sent shivers down his spine.

"Don't remind me," he said while opening the door for Yuki. "But, remind me to thank your uncle when we get back. I don't want him to think I'm abusing his hospitality."

"Mental note added, dear friend!" she exclaimed while walking inside.

Following her, the pair quickly began to rummage through the racks of clothes inside the store and found, well, Yuki found many things for Levi to try on. She'd found a nice black hoodie that she hoped was in his size but, seeing as it was in a small, she wasn't too worried about it. She also had a few pairs of jeans for him to try on, all in different sizes, and hoped that at least one pair would be the right fit for him that way they could find more like it for her to purchase. He'd found some shirts on his own but he'd left the bulk of the shopping up to Yuki, since he had no idea what to do. Once they decided on the clothes he would try on, Yuki rushed him to the fitting area and practically forced him in to one of the changing rooms with a pile of clothes for him to try on. Honestly, he would've been okay with purchasing the entire lot but knew that her uncle would not have appreciated that since they were using his money to buy everything; so, reluctantly, he began to try on everything she'd gotten for him.

After trying on a few of the shirts he'd gotten for himself, he'd settled on two black t-shirts that were comfortable enough for him to wear. Most of the pants he'd tried on were either too long or too big around the waist but he eventually found a pair that fit quite nicely and, setting that pair to the side, he started to fold everything up in as nice a fashion as he could before a rap at the door shook him from his actions.

"Is that you Yuki?" Opening the door, he peeked outside and noticed how nervous Yuki seemed to be. "Is everything okay?" She shook her head then began to nervously look around the shop, almost as if she were expecting something or someone to jump out from behind her.

"Yuki," he continued, growing more concerned by the second. "What's wrong?"

"Are you almost done in there?" she asked, her body shaking in fear as she turned to look behind her. "If we hurry we can walk around the park and maybe get some ice cream, and I'm sure you'll love seeing the fountain there and -" Grabbing her by the wrist with one hand, he drew his other hand to the side of her face and forced her to look at him.

"Yuki, what's wrong. You're clearly upset about something."

"I..."

Before she could finish, the sound of heels clicking against the concrete floor of the sales floor made Yuki jump up in fear; however, before Levi could begin another round of questions, Yuki pushed him back in to the dressing room, quietly stepped inside, the slowly closed the door behind them. Levi had the beginning of a sentence sitting on the edge of his lips but before those words could escape Yuki quickly covered her hand over his mouth and shook her head.

"Don't say anything," she whispered, he body still shaking. Confused but also understanding, Levi sat down on the makeshift seat in the room and crossed his legs. He didn't know why Yuki was so afraid but seeing her shaking in fear was something he didn't like. Not at all. He watched as she cowered next to him and couldn't help himself when he walked up beside her and took her in to his arms. Burying her face in to the crook on his neck, he held on to her shaking body but, as the heels approached the dressing room, her shakes became more violent and painful for him to witness.

"Everything's going to be okay." he whispered, his lips sending soothing blows of air against the nape of her neck. "Please tell me what's wrong." A dark chuckle escaped her lips but she kept her face hidden in his neck, not wanting to meet his worried gaze.

"You'll find out soon enough."

The loud sound had finally ceased but were suddenly replaced by the loud, high pitched squeals of two women standing right outside their dressing room.

"I could've sworn I saw her come in here," one voice said.

"Well, she couldn't have gotten far," said the other in a pitch that was rising by the second.

A slam against the door of the dressing room nearly made Yuki scream out in fear but, instead of succumbing to her fears, she drew herself in to Levi's warm embrace and held on tightly.

"She has some nerve coming back here, after what she did to our sister. She could've saved her fucking life but, instead of doing her job, she just sat there and watched her die..."

The conversation continued for what seemed like hours, painful reminders of the pain she'd caused this family before she left for Kyoto. Sure, they didn't mention the part that the doctors had played in all of this, seeing as their daughter had ultimately been left in her care after they could do nothing else for her but the memory of that young child dying in front of her was too much for her heart to handle. She was utterly helpless, could do absolutely nothing for the child other than hold her hand as she died in front of her. She could only watch deaths vice like grip strangle this young girl and cut her life short, and all the blame fell on her because she'd been the one tending to her needs. Her wounds were too deep. The doctors had done all the could. What was left for her to do? Before she knew it, tears were spilling down her cheeks and on to the collar of Levi's shirt. He was speechless. He'd listened to every word these women had spoke and truly felt the pain that Yuki was going through. To have to deal with something like that all on your own was something no one deserved, especially someone as kindhearted as her. Once the voices had faded away, Levi tilted Yuki's face up to his and looked at her with sorrow filled eyes.

"Yuki," he began while wiping some of her tears away. "You can't blame yourself for her death. It wasn't your fault." More tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, her body still shook in his embrace, and she tried to look away from him but the hold he had on her face was too strong for her to get away from.

"Listen to me," he continued as held her face in his hand. "Everything is going to be all right. I think I understand why you needed a break." Looking deep in to her tearful eyes, he brought his forehead close to hers and wrapped his free hand around the small of her back. "I don't know that much about you but I think I've seen enough to know that you place a lot of blame on yourself when things go wrong. Even though I met you because of it, you should let these failures break you."

Yet again, she attempted to break away from the understanding look he had on his face. She hadn't planned on telling him about all of that, yet here they were with all her problems and issues sprawled out on the ground. Her heart was torn in two. She'd only been away from Osaka for two days and had tried to get away from all the pain she'd been causing herself but, locked in his embrace, she could only remind herself of how much of a failure she actually was. She wasn't cut out for helping others, could only watch as they slowly died next to her and shattered all the emotion she had inside her heart.

"You don't understand!" she shouted. She attempted to throw a fist against his chest but, before any damage could happen, he grabbed her wrist and drew her lips to his. It was a quick decision on his part but he had to do something to still her nerves. Honestly, he expected her to slap him on the face because of the decision he'd made but was somehow rewarded with her moving her lips slowly against his. She didn't know what to think in that moment, could only focus on his lips as they moved against her. It wasn't a long kiss, just enough to still her nerves and quiet her tears and, as they pulled away, Levi kissed the corner of her mouth and smiled against her cheek. Honestly, he wanted to kiss to continue but the idea of doing such a thing in a public place wasn't an idea he wanted to follow through on.

"Why'd you...wha...how..." Yuki was at a loss for words. How could she have kissed a man she knew absolutely nothing about? She thought she'd feel some pang of guilt while kissing him but, as their lips touched, all she could feel was the warmth of his body against hers and how safe she felt in his arms. Perhaps she was reading too much in to it. It was just a kiss but, strangely, it felt like something deeper was happening between them - a deep connection that she didn't want to think about.

"I had to find some way to shut you up," he said. He drew her in for another long embrace and, sighing in her neck, he released a soft chuckle. "Please don't hate me for doing that." Shaking her head, Yuki slowly worked her hands in his raven locks and massaged his scalp.

"I don't hate you. Honestly I think I needed that."

"You aren't just saying that to make me feel better?" Drawing his face up to hers, she looked him straight in the eyes and gave him a soft smile before kissing him on the forehead.

"It's weird," she stated, her eyes bearing in to his. "I barely know you but, strangely, I feel so comfortable around you. I shouldn't feel like this. I shouldn't feel like I have this deep connection with you but I do." Blushing, she buried her face in his hair and whined. "I bet you think I'm a freak now." A few moments of silence passed between the two of them and, before she could release herself from his embrace, she felt his lips kiss against the nape of her neck. It sent a warming chill throughout her body but she enjoyed the way his lips softly moved about her skin.

"I feel the same way Yuki," he began while nuzzling in to her neck. "I feel like I've known you my entire life and, for what it's worth, I want to know everything there is to know about you. I'd offer you the same but..."

"I know." Kissing the top of his head, she removed herself from his embrace and rubbed her hand against the back of her neck. "But, without your memories, I'll get to know who you really are. Sometimes memories can hold you back from truly expressing yourself. Trust me, I'd know all about that." Levi chuckled.

"Feel free to tell me all about it. I want to know everything Yuki."

"All right," she said while lacing her hand with his. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

Hand in hand, they left the dressing room and paid for the clothes Levi had chosen for himself. Yuki decided to put her plans with Miyako on hold, seeing as she was too exhausted to deal with the rushed atmosphere that Osaka had to offer. So, after leaving the store, the pair quickly rushed back to the train station and paid for two tickets back to Kyoto.

Their relationship had changed quite drastically. It was strange and beautiful all at once, and Yuki didn't think to question it whatsoever. This person beside her had instantly become someone she truly cared about, and she didn't want those feelings to go away. Levi had become a dear friend, someone that Yuki desperately wanted to know more about, and it was the same for Levi; however, they knew that their relationship was turning in to something they couldn't comprehend. If they weren't careful, this friendship they had would quickly turn in to much more, possibly more than they could handle.


	12. Chapter 12

Yuki had many thoughts racing through her mind on the train ride back to Kyoto. Her eyes and face were focused on the scenery outside her window but the memories from earlier were still fresh and lingering and, as she ghosted the tips of her fingers along her lips, she recalled the sensation of Levi's lips against hers and the moment they'd shared in the dressing room. She'd been an absolute mess and he'd been there to comfort her during her breakdown; however, the new development in their relationship - if one could call it that - was at the epicenter of all her current insecurities. The nearing night sky drew her thoughts towards how the night would play out for the two of them. She'd wanted to be home a bit earlier but, an unscheduled maintenance stop in Tokyo, delayed the train for nearly six hours. Thankfully, there were plenty of things for them to to do while they waited. She understood that he'd only kissed her to calm her down - and it worked - but the end result from that reaction allowed her mind to think on things that made her quite uncomfortable. She'd only known him for two days. Perhaps the relevance of that information wasn't as important as she'd thought but it still weighed hard on her heart. The strong connection she had with him made her uncomfortable, set forth a foreign emotion throughout her body that she'd never experienced before, and she had no idea how to comprehend those feelings.

Thankfully, Levi had fallen asleep shortly after the train left Osaka for, if he'd been awake, he'd certainly notice the worried expression that had showered on her face. He sat across from her with his head resting against the window. His shallow breaths played a gently melody with stray hairs against his face, swaying gently to a tune all on its own and one that only Yuki could see and hear. The serene expression on his face melted Yuki's heart as she stared at his sleeping form, an emotion that swept throughout her entire body and left her breathless. If she had enough courage and strength to manage an attempt, she'd cross the distance between them and rest her head against his but all she could do was sit there and watch the steady rising of his chest as he slept across from her. He was beautiful. She knew so little about him, only knew how he made her feel, and those feelings were pushing her towards wanting to understand everything about him, made her want to tell him everything about herself - and that terrified her.

What would he think about her once he knew who she really was? At the store earlier, when those women revealed some of her past to him, he'd gotten a small taste of how pitiful her personality was. He'd expressed to her his willingness to want to know everything about her; however, would his feelings change once he knew how insecure she was about everything in her life, or how plain she actually was compared to other women. She'd spent her entire life devoted to her work and making a name for herself in the nursing world and, during that time, she'd weaved her personality in to that life, so much so that she didn't know herself without it. Sighing, she pressed the palm of her hand underneath her chin and crossed her legs; then, in a matter of moments, Levi slowly opened his eyes and stared at her. Groggily, he combed a hand through his hair and gave her a warm smile.

"How long was I asleep?" he asked as a yawn erupted from his lips. Reaching in to her purse, Yuki pulled out her phone to check the time; then, placed her phone on her lap and returned his smile.

"It's been about forty-five minutes," she began while turning to look at the sunset from outside the window. A myriad of orange and red colors kissed the earth and clouds as if in a shadowed dance that left the viewer transfixed on the suns descent from their plain of view. It was beautiful sight to behold, one that Yuki and Levi both stared at in wonder.

"So beautiful," Levi whispered. His eyes were focused on the sight outside the window but, he did manage a small glance in Yuki's direction and almost allowed a blush to fall upon his face as he colors from the sunset dance upon her face. He'd noticed her beauty before but, as the final rays of sunlight bounced along her face, he saw just how beautiful she actually was.

"It's sad," Yuki said through a laugh as the tips of her fingers traced along the window. "I've been alive for thirty years but have never actually seen the sun set."

"Really?" Levi asked. Nodding her head, she turned to look at him and rested her arms behind her head.

"Yeah. I don't remember if I did as a child - that was many years ago - but as I got older I let my studies and everything else in my life get in the way of all the things I wanted to do. As time passed, seeing a sunset became pointless." She rubbed the back of her neck with one hand and drew her eyes to the ground. "After all, what's the point when you cant share those moments with someone you care about?"

Somewhat startled, Levi looked away from her for a moment and scratched the top of his head. Had her final statement been directed at him? He couldn't know for sure but the implications behind her words made his heart beat rapidly in his chest. He couldn't help but wonder if he was the person she cared about, someone she wanted to share those moments with. The knowledge of only knowing her for a few days mattered very little to him at the moment, all he could think about was wanting to spend those precious moments with her and learn everything about her. The thoughts of wanting his memories back were unimportant, merely a whisper in the air as he turned his face back to hers. He nearly burst in to a fit of laughter as he watched a huge blush form on her face. Perhaps she was just now understanding the implications behind what she'd spoke to him; however, the sight was too adorable to him as he watched her stumble over her words.

"I...I...umm...I..." She continued to stumble over her words, all the while growing more and more flustered as she stared at the humor sprawled across his face. She assumed she looked like an absolute idiot with the way she'd been rambling in front of him, almost tried to look away from his knowing eyes but was stopped by him leaning in to grab her wrist with one of his hands.

"Yuki," he began while pressing the palm of his free hand against her cheek. "look at me." Hesitantly, she moved her face against his hand and met his gaze. Long forgotten was the blush on her face as she stared in to his eyes and all she could do was focus on the look of adoration he had on his face as he smiled at her. "Do you care about me?"

"What kind of question is that?" she asked.

"A simple one," he continued. Brushing his thumb against the corner of her mouth, he moved his other hand behind her neck and gently gave it a comforting squeeze. Somewhat fighting his hold on her, she shook her head and bit down on her lip. She'd always been skeptical about these kinds of things and, even though she enjoyed the closeness that had with one another, she still had doubts rolling around in her head about the entire situation.

"It might be simple for a child, maybe even a teenager - but I'm an adult. I've never been in a situation like this before. Answering a question like that requires a lot of thinking, time and effort that I want to put in; but, at the same time, I doubt it because of everything I've been through. So, please, don't ask me a question like that. You may not like what I have to say."

Levi almost drew away from her, was almost offended by the way she had spoken to him; however, he also understood her meaning behind those words. This wasn't the kind of relationship one took lightly. Childish adoration and affection did not apply in their situation and the acceptance of such emotions, even to him, would take time. He was slightly taken by her hurtful words but he knew she meant no harm by them because, like him, she also wanted to learn. So, they'd just have to learn about each other together and allow this budding affection to mature in to something that would satisfy them both.

"Did I hurt your feelings?" Yuki asked, her eyes tearing up. Shaking his head, Levi patted her on the the head and placed a kiss against her forehead.

"No." Entwining his hands with hers, he wrapped her arms around his neck and gave her an engaging smile. "I'll admit, I was hurt at first but I understand why you're so skeptical. If I were in your shoes I'd be the same way." Breaking out in to a snicker, he quickly moved back against his seat and, moving his arms around her waist, he pulled her against his chest and sighed in to her hair. At first, the motion was quite alarming but, locked in his embrace, she found a way to calm herself and, after a few moments had passed, she rested her arms against his chest and gazed back in to his loving eyes.

"What the hell are we doing?" Yuki asked. Smirking at her, Levi pulled her up along his chest and laid her head against his shoulder; then, pulling her in to a soft embrace, he nuzzled his face in to her neck and sighed. They way she felt against his body was too perfect for him to describe. It felt as though she'd been designed to fit perfectly against him, melded as one being and, that thought alone, was reason enough to not care about all the uncertainties they had about what they were doing.

"I honestly don't know Yuki, " he said. Slowly, he sent kisses along her neck, a silent moan escaping his lips as he felt Yuki grip at his collar. Smiling against her skin, he shifted her head to meet with his and pressed their foreheads together; then, with both hands around her neck, he kissed the bridge of her nose and chuckled. "I don't know what we're doing Yuki but I don't fucking care." Furrowing her nose, Yuki buried her face back in to his neck and lightly smacked him on the chest.

"Is it possible to curse and be attractive at the same time?" she asked. Yuki felt a deep rumbling against her then, almost instantly, was drawn in to a Levi's crushing embrace as he laughed against her hair. Caught up in the joviality of the moment, Yuki lost herself to the moment and joined Levi until they were nearly hysterical; however, one small gesture - a hand against the nape of her neck, calmed them both; as they met each other's eyes, they were locked in to a gaze that lasted the remained of the train ride.

They were so transfixed by one another that they didn't even realize they'd reached Kyoto until the screeching wheels of the train startled them enough to look away. They'd been so lost in one another's gaze that the world around them seemed to have no meaning, only the space that surrounded them - eyes on eyes and flesh on flesh - were all that mattered; almost embarrassed, they looked away from one another and sighed.

"I guess it's time to get up," Yuki began. Placing her feet against the floor, she attempted to release herself from his embrace but his strong hold pulled her back against his chest. Shaking his head, he kissed her forehead once more and laughed quietly against her skin. His act was a selfish one but the thought of her leaving his embrace, even for a moment, was something he didn't like. He wanted to enjoy this moment for as long as he could. It was as if he were expecting a situation like this to never happen again.

"Can we just stay like this a bit longer?" he asked while smiling in to her hair.

"The train won't wait for us to get off. It'll keep going even if we're still on it." She had an impatient look on in her eyes. She didn't want to leave his embrace either but she knew they still had many things left to do for the day; plus, having to tell her uncle that they'd missed their stop and were traveling to god knows where didn't set too well in her mind. Rolling his eyes, Levi released her from his embrace and gently helped her off of him.

"Just promise me one thing," he said while taking her hand. He stood himself up, ruffled her hair, then stretched his arms over his head. Let's do that again later, okay?" Nervously, she nodded her head then started to walk away from him; however, before she could get far, she felt an arm drape over her shoulder. Brows raised, she shot him a look of irritation then directed him towards the exit.

"You seriously have no shame, do you?" she asked, arms folded over her chest as her shoes clicked against the steel steps leading outside.

"I guess I don't," he began while looking at his surroundings. "But that just means you're learning more about me. Maybe that was a memory coming back to me."

"So you remembered that you were a pervert? Is that something I should concern myself with Mr. Ackerman?"

Slightly agitated, he furrowed his brows and clenched his teeth. He looked away for a moment but a quick thought on his part gave him the necessary motivation to turn the tables on her.

"Only with you Yuki," he said with a wink. "I'd only do those things with you." Lost for a moment, Yuki shook her hand and softly slapped her cheeks.

"How the hell would you know?" Pushing his arm off of her, she quickly walked to the front desk to pick up her luggage. Luckily, the attendant still had it waiting for her; so, with her luggage in tow, she quickly began to walk towards the path leading to her uncles shrine. Lost in her own embarrassment, she hardly paid attention to how slowly Levi walked behind her, almost as if he were admiring her from afar. It made her a bit uneasy, as if he were a wolf stalking its prey and she couldn't have that uncertainty so, turning around, she motioned for him to stand beside her.

"Put you're arm back around me?" she demanded. Obliging, he slowly placed his arm back over her shoulder.

"I was really enjoying the view though." Resting his head against hers, he grabbed the handle of her luggage and began pulling it on his own. "You're just too cute, Yuki."

"You're infuriating!" she exclaimed; however, by then it was too late for her to back away from him so she just took his words and sighed to herself. "You cant just say things like that!"

"Why?" he asked. He had a sincere look on his face as he questioned her and Yuki honestly didn't have a good excuse as to why he shouldn't talk to her that way. It was a new, small, facet of his personality that she'd been introduced to and, truth be told, she only reacted the way she did because of how foreign it was. She'd never had anyone speak to her that way, never met a man who'd been so entranced by her looks that he'd actually voice the words to her. She'd had relationships before but the men she'd dated never looked at her like he did, never told her how cute she was. They were too focused on their own careers and personal interests to care about her. Now, standing next to him, she found a man willing to hold her and wanted her in a way that worried her.

"I'm not used to men doting on me," she began. Continuing their trek to her uncles shrine, she hesitantly continued their conversation. "I didn't date much in the past - haven't been in a relationship in about five years - but, even then, they never held me or looked at me like they cared." Levi had a look of disgust on his face as she spoke, almost as if he couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth but he kept his thoughts at bay, seeing she still had more to say.

"The last man I dated was a lawyer, was self-employed at a firm nearby my apartment, and he was extremely attractive." Yuki could sense Levi's jealousy from a mile away but she continued on with her story. She didn't want to hold anything back from him, no matter how it made him feel. "We met at a bar one night and, after a long night of drinking, we quickly entered in to a sexual relationship - but that's all our relationship was. We were together but he had his career and I had my studies so we had no time for each other and even when we spent time together his mind was always somewhere else, never on me or my needs, so after a year I ended things with him and gave all my attention to my degree. Looking back on it, I didn't care enough about his needs either because, if I had tried, I'm sure things would've turned out differently."

Taking her hand in his, Levi drew the palm of her hand up to his lips and kissed her on the wrist. It was an action that startled her but not enough to cause her to jerk away.

"I'm glad things turned out differently." Placing her hand on top of his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her slow, languid kiss full of a passion Yuki had never felt before. When he drew away, he cupped her cheeks with both hands and wrapped his arms around her neck. "You can't spend your life regretting the decisions you made. You and I met because of those decisions, so never regret them. Just keep moving forward, press on until you find the happiness you deserve."

He was right. She'd spent so much of her life regretting each decision she'd ever made. She'd always thought about how her life would turn out if she'd made this decision, what would've happened if she'd stayed in Kyoto with her uncle instead of moving to Tokyo, and all that ever gave her were lonely nights thinking about all the things she could've done better. She'd never focused on moving forward because of how caught up she was on her past mistakes and failures. But, she couldn't regret them now. All her decision, every move she made, led her to this man in front of her, a man she barely knew but cared about nonetheless.

"You're so full of wisdom," Mr. Ackerman she said while playfully patting his chest.

"Just call me Levi," he retorted. "calling me Mr. Ackerman makes me feel old."

Fixing his collar, he rolled his eyes and began to brush her away from him but a sudden burst of energy swept through Yuki's body and, within moments, she forcefully pressed herself against him and crushed her lips against his. Eyes wide, Levi stared at her in disbelief as she worked her lips on his; however, the warmth of her body against him sent waves of pleasure down his spine as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Luckily, her eyes were closed, so she couldn't see the immense blush that had formed on his face; but, even though her sudden act of courage startled him, he didn't want it to stop. They were still about an hours walk away from her uncles shrine, so releasing her from his grasp was completely out of the question. Slowly, Yuki withdrew her lips from his. Levi gasped out a whine, the loss of her warmth on his lips almost too unbearable for him but, before he could protest, Yuki pressed her lips against his neck and peppered slow kisses up to his ear.

"Is this something I should regret Mr. Ackerman?"

He felt his eyes roll in to the back of his head as she whispered in to his ear, a sensation that nearly drove him over the edge and back in to her inviting mouth. She had lit a fire in him that made him want her in a way that brought tears to his eyes, so much passion filling his heart that he had no words to express how captivating she was to him. Still blushing, eyes lustfully glazed over, he turned his face to hers kissed her on the nose. It was a sweet sentiment but the undertones of that sentiment were far from sweet and, if not kept in check, would quickly turn in to a heated moment between the two of them.

"Yuki, what are you doing?"

A sly smile forming on her lips gave her the courage she needed to blend her lips with his once more, silently answering his question with her motions against him. Her smooth hands wrapped around the back of his neck and, to make make sure he kept his mouth shut, she bit down on his bottom lip and licked the small bruise with her tongue. She honestly had no idea what had come over her but a sudden pang in her chest told her this was the right thing to do, that being with him was all she needed in that moment and she wasn't about to let that go. She needed him as much as he needed her and, for the life of her, she was doing her best to make sure they kept moving forward.

"Levi," she whispered, her lips hot and moist against his shaking lips. Closing the distance between them, she hugged his face in to her chest and let out an exasperated sigh. "I...I want you."

She'd done it now, broken through the dam of his emotions, and now they were flowing over her like a torrent of waves against a winding current. He wouldn't let her escape him now, no matter how hard she tried; however, she seemed just as willing as him to keep this going so, quickly, he looked at their surroundings and spotted a nearby thicket of bushes. There were enough trees covering the area, so he assumed it would provide them with enough cover to continue their activities in secret; quickly, he grabbed her by the hand and hurried her along to the spot. His heart beat fervently in his chest as they neared their destination, the images of what they would do so vivid in his mind that he could barely contain himself from giving in and claiming her against the gravel beneath their feet; however, he kept pushing himself until they were safely away from any prying eyes. Then an animal-like hunger took over his body and, in one quick swoop, he pressed Yuki against one of the nearby trees and gave her a bruising kiss.

"You're so fucking beautiful," he murmured, almost unable to contain himself as their tongues danced with one another. He'd been on the brink of death, and this wonderfully amazing woman had saved his life and now, as his lips worked along her neck, he was repaying her in a way that sent jolts of pleasure all throughout his body. Groaning with pleasure, he nipped against her skin and pressed himself against her, the stir of pleasure almost too unbearable for him as his growing arousal pushed against the fabric of her jeans. Though Yuki couldn't sense the growing pleasure as much as him, she felt a growing heat between her legs that was too painful to ignore; however, she wanted to draw this out for a long as possible, so she pushed her wants to the side and allowed him to continue his ministrations.

"Levi...I..." Shaking his head, Levi drew his hand to her mouth and placed his thumb against the roof of her mouth.

"You're lips are so beautiful Yuki." Languidly, he pressed his lips against hers once more; this time, however, the kiss was a bit gentler than before, almost endearing, and the look of devotion on his face nearly brought tears to her eyes as she placed her hands against his cheeks. With his lips still on hers, his eyes seductive and filled with longing, he moved his hands along her chest and softly massaged her breasts. The sudden pleasure he'd begun to give her writhed throughout her body, a pleasure she couldn't describe, could only bite on his lip as he unbuttoned her shirt.

"Yuki," he pressed, his eyes bearing in to hers. Brushing away her bangs, he pressed his lips against her forehead and quietly hummed against her. "Let me take care of you."

Nodding her head, she watched as he finished undoing the buttons of her blouse. She was starting to grow insecure, afraid to be so vulnerable around him but the tender kisses he pressed against her stomach as he knelt to the ground washed all her fears away. With his arms wrapped around her waist, he nuzzled himself chest and peppered kisses down her stomach. Her scent was intoxicating, a mixture of vanilla and honey that sent his mind in to overdrive as his tongue danced along her skin. It was as if he'd gone days without water and she was his oasis, and he intended to drink every last drop until she was writhing beneath him.

"You smell so good Yuki." Removing his lips, he stared up at her and saw that her head had fallen back against the tree, eyes closed and suppressing a moan. Her body was already shaking, emotions that were betraying the courageous woman who'd started this journey with him. She hadn't expected it to go this far but she couldn't stop, only wanted him to keep loving her with his lips until she could no longer breathe. She'd gone so long without this kind of affection, and now that she had it, the wave of emotions that came from it were hard for her to control.

"Please," she whispered, her head falling back in pleasure as he moved his hands along the sides of her legs. If he was teasing her, he was doing an excellent job; but, it also seemed as though he needed her permission to continue. That was certainly the case. He didn't want to do anything that made her uncomfortable, wanted to make sure she was ready for him.

"Please what?" He asked, his eyes searching hers for an answer to his desire for her. Rubbing along the small of her back, he pressed his lips against her stomach once more before hugging himself to her. "What do you want me to do Yuki?"

"I..." she could barely form the words as she combed her hands through his hair. Pulling one hand to his neck, she motioned for him to look up at her and, passionate flames burning across her face, she gave him the best smile she could before placing his head back against her stomach. "I want you to touch me." Slowly, he crushed his body against hers and drew one of his hands towards the buttons on her pants. Quickly, he he worked his hands along them and, in one quick movement, slid them off of her and on to the ground beside them. Her arousal, the sight before him, was enough to send his mind in to a panicking frenzy but he was determined to make this as sensual as possible for her. It was neither the time nor place for rough acts of sentiment against her. He needed this moment with her, a way to express all the feelings he'd been bottling up throughout the day, and now that he had her in his embrace, he wasn't going to let her go. So, after pulling her lingerie away from her, he set it neatly atop the collected pile of clothes and returned to the beautiful pearl before him, dripping wet with desire for only him. That sensation, the desire he had as he stared at her sex sent multiple waves of emotions throughout his body. He'd done this to her, made her feel a desire so painstakingly brutal that it had pooled to her core, waiting only for him to alleviate the pain.

Licking his lips, he placed his tongue between her sweet mound and gently began to lap at her sweet, delicious folds. Up and down, back and forth, his tongue moved against until she was writhing in pleasure, her hands still firmly pressed against his head. Her moans, so enticing and erotic drove him to new depths as he deepened her pleasure with his tongue, going in and out with ease and, as he bit at her sensitive bud, he fervently dove his tongue further in to her, pleasing her with his mouth as much as possible. His arousal, now fully alert, painfully needed a release of its own but, for now, pleasing Yuki was far more important. When he claimed her as his own, he wanted to take his time. Here, out in the woods, she'd have to hide her voice from him and that was the last thing he wanted. He needed to hear her cry out his name, needed to hear her moans and screams and here, in this secluded area, all he could do was focus on her joy for now - but he'd soon have his moment.

She'd given him so much already, given him a place to call home, and had allowed him to see a side of herself that was entirely special to him, and these thoughts drove him to quicken his pace against her flesh. His tongue was like magic against her heated core and the rapid shakes of his head, mixed with slow nips and licks, had her furiously bucking her hips against his face. He kept going, faster and faster until she could barely control her movement so, to restrain her, he placed his hands against her hips and drew her heat into his open mouth, his tongue ready and willing to drive her over the edge. Her body shook in his arms, so forceful that he almost had to pull himself away but the determination he had in his eyes was something he wouldn't ignore. He kept going, went faster and harder until a forceful surge of pleasure washed over her and exploded throughout her body. Completely satisfied with his work, Levi slowly stood himself up to meet Yuki and saw the result of his work. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, her body still shook, and she had her arms resting above her on the back of the tree. She'd been thoroughly loved.

"Yuki," Levi began as his hands reached out for her arms. Closing the distance between them, he hugged himself to her and wrapped her arms around his neck. He sent kisses to her lips, her nose, her eyes, any part of her that he could reach before staring in to her eyes and smiling at her. "How do you feel." Adoration spread across her face, Yuki pressed her forehead against his and giggled.

"I feel so amazing Levi." Kissing the tip of his nose, she leaned back in to his ear, sent kisses against his neck once more and smiled against the nape of his neck. "But shouldn't you come inside?"

Where was she going with this? Levi stood there, frozen in his tracks as she blew in to his sensitive ear. Did she really want him that badly, enough to throw caution to the wind and have him take here in the bushes? Sure, they'd risked quite a lot by doing doing what they just did; but, for what he had planned for her, the risk far outweighed the benefit of having her as his own.

"Are you sure about that Yuki?" He asked, sweat rolling down his face as she licked and nipped at his skin.

"Of course I am. You need to hurry and come inside" She said

"Aren't you worried?" he asked, his eyes darting away from her.

"Worried about what?" She asked. Nudging along his neck, she bit in to his shoulder and smiled while soothing the bite with sensitive kisses.

"People hearing us?" He asked.

Confusion was starting to rack throughout his body as he held her against him. She felt amazing pressed against him, as if she belonged with him in every sense of the word; however, something about the conversation they were having didn't make sense. Then, as an answer to his unspoken question, a giant gust of energy slapped his mind back to reality and, before he knew it he was looking at Yuki standing at the door leading to her uncles shrine. How on earth had they already made it that far? Had he been so lost in himself, lost in her looks and her presence that he imagined everything between the two of them. That had to be the case. Long gone were her adoring looks, her confusing stare stung him like daggers, and the warmth he'd felt from her body now seemed so far away, a ghost of the past haunting his soul as he looked in to her eyes.

"What the hell are you going on about Levi?" She asked, slightly worried. "What do you mean when you say "people hearing us?"

"Absolutely nothing!" he exclaimed, embarrassed by the entire course of events. Not only had he vividly imagined the two of them together, he'd done it without even thinking and was now trying to keep his emotions in check in front of her. He couldn't slip up, not even for a moment for if she found out what he'd been thinking, how perverted his thoughts actually were in regards to her, he'd terrify her. He couldn't have that, not when he cared this deeply for her. He'd just have to bide his time until another moment arose, one that wasn't just a figment of his imagination.

"If it's nothing then hurry up and get inside," she said, motioning him to the door.

Entering the house, Levi quickly took off his shoes and hurried in to this kitchen. Depressed and dejected, he sat himself down on one of the chairs and laid his head against the cold table beside him. He was still quite flustered, could still remember and feel every emotion rolling through his body, and it knowing that it was all in his head really hurt his ego. He hadn't realized he'd cared for her that much.

"Tch. I guess I'm taking a cold shower tonight."


	13. Chapter 13

A week had transpired since that fateful day in Kyoto, the moment when Levi encountered an important component of Yuki's personality and, since then, their relationship had rapidly progressed in to an entity of its own and was something that they entirely enjoyed. Exploring this new facet their lives was unknown territory - especially for Yuki; and, with every day that passed, it seemed as though they were learning new idiosyncrasies about each other. Regardless of how small those traits were, they were cemented to their personalities like glue and it made them deeply care for one another. Without doubt, Yuki was skeptical about her own feelings towards Levi considering she'd never held such sentiments towards any man in her life - excluding her uncle. He was very considerate towards her, would always hold her in a way that made her feel as though they'd been together for years, as if it felt too right to be in his embrace, and he didn't make it any easier with the looks he'd give her during those moments when they'd spend countless hours talking to each other; however, the thought of throwing caution to the wind and allowing herself to simply fall for him was an idea that still terrified her. She was afraid to open her heart, afraid she'd fall in love, and was also afraid that she'd end up leaving him like all the other men in her life.

Levi was a clean freak, and that was the easiest way to describe the newest addition to his ever-growing personality. Once he'd learned where all the cleaning supplies were located in the house it was as if something had clicked in his mind and had set him in to an obsessive overdrive. At first, the attention he gave towards cleaning every room in the house frustrated Yuki because, even when she attempted to clean, it seemed like she'd done something wrong or hadn't cleaned it to suit his version of clean. Everything always had to be spotless and free of dust and anything less than that was unacceptable. What amused Yuki the most was the way this memory came back to him for, what drew him to the cleaning supplies in the first place revolved around him spilling tea on his shirt. Even then, Yuki noticed that his reaction to the spill was unusual, and when she showed him to the linen closet and handed him the stain remover to use on his shirt, the madness began in full force. As time went on, Yuki learned to accept this new part of him. It was endearing to see this side of him and made her care for even more than she already did.

Learning about him was a new process every day, and she excitedly took in all that she could because she knew that all these moments they shared were new and irreplaceable, and learning about him through her eyes was something that no one could take away from her. They were etched in to her mind and she happily enjoyed every day they had together. From Levi's perspective, he'd taken in as much as he could about Yuki and thoroughly enjoyed the stories she would tell him about herself. She'd always talk to him about her hopes and dreams for the future, her likes and dislikes, and even learned how to read her moods. Even though only a week had passed, he'd learned that if something made her uncomfortable she'd look away from him and tilt her head to the side. When something amused her, before laughter even escaped her lips, he'd begun to notice that her nose would scrunch up and her cheeks would rise just a fraction before erupting in front of him. Every unique part of her gave way to an emotion inside of him that he loved more than anything, and he was honestly afraid to let it go. If his memories returned, though he hadn't thought about it much, he knew that everything would change between them. What if he had a family waiting for him to come home? What if there were people out in the world desperately searching for him? If that were the case, if he found his true home, then he'd eventually leave Yuki behind, and he didn't want to leave her alone. The very thought chilled him to the core. Even now, with Yuki sitting between his legs and his arms around her waist as they watched one of her films, he had those thoughts. So, to keep the peace between them, he kept it to himself.

He closely held her in his arms while he rested his back against the couch. Safely enclosed in his arms, she sat between him on top of the futon that had been delivered earlier that week. The center of the living room now stood as a bed for Levi to use as his own, and he was indeed quite thankful that he didn't have to spend his nights sleeping on either the couch or the recliner. It wasn't good for the recovery of his injury; also, it made it easier for him to hold Yuki's in all the ways he wanted. Indeed, all the the thoughts he'd had throughout the week were connected to her in some way or another, and it frustrated him belief because the thoughts he had were far from decent.

"Are you cold?" He asked, noticing that Yuki's body had started to shiver against him. She had a bowl of popcorn sitting on her lap. With one hand lazily stuffed inside the bowl, she rested the other on his knee and turned back to look at him.

"Maybe a little," she replied while unconsciously slipping a piece of popcorn in to her mouth. "It isn't that big of a deal though."

"Are you sure?" he asked. The room was dimly lit but, even in the darkness, Yuki still noticed the worry on his face as she shivered in his arms. During the movie, she'd thought about getting a blanket for the two of them to use but, by then, she was already comfortably in his embrace and didn't want to move so, stubbornly, she dealt with it.

"Tch, you're so stubborn" he uttered, his arms pulling her close to him. "But that just let's me warm you up myself." Rolling his eyes, he pressed his lips against her neck and blew against her skin. Her body shook once more in his arms; however, this time being a bit chilly had nothing to do with it. "

"That isn't helping me," she asserted, eyes glaring at him as he hummed against her. In a fit of agitation, she reached out for a piece of popcorn and instantly shoved it in to his mouth. Eyes alert, hearing something familiar on the screen, she turned her face back to the movie and squealed when she saw what scene it was at.

"Was that really necessary," he blurted while covering his ears. "I think I may have lost hearing in one ear."

"Poor baby," she cooed. Patting him on the head, she offered him another piece of popcorn then nodded her head towards the screen in an attempt to get him to pay attention to the movie. "This is the best scene in the whole movie!"

"What's it about again?" he asked while absentmindedly twirling a piece of her hair with his fingers. "I haven't really been paying attention." A few glares were sent his direction but he paid her agitation no mind as he reached for another piece of popcorn. Instantly, she smacked his hand and shook her head, which resulted in him giving her a few glares of his own before resting his arms above his head.

"You haven't been paying attention?" she asked, clearly offended.

"Well," he admitted, a smirk rising to his lips. "I've been too busy paying attention to other things." His eyes teasingly roamed her body. Both his devilish smirk and the wanton way he looked at her made her a bit flustered but she knew he was only doing it to get under her skin. With a shake of her head, she turned way from him and, with legs crossed, she removed the bowl from her lap and went to grab the remote from the coffee table in front of them.

"Can you pay attention now?" she asked while pointing her hand at a couple on the screen. With the remote clenched in her free hand, she shot him another glare and impatiently waited for him to reply. She really cherished this movie in more ways than one and, even though it was childish, she needed Levi to understand what was going on.

"I guess." he responded. His eyes lazily watched the screen. Honestly, he didn't care much for the movies they watched together but he did enjoy the time they spent together while watching them. For her sake, he'd endure just about anything so, relenting to her will, he gave in and listened. "Tell me about the movie oh wise one."

"Don't get cheeky."

"Tch."

"The man on the screen is Owen," she said while tapping at the man on the screen. "The woman on the screen in Nadine. At the start of the movie Owen is going through a rough break-up with his fiancee."

"The woman on the screen?" he asked, eyes looking at the short black-haired woman. Rolling her eyes, Yuki shook her head and released a loud agitated sigh.

"Nope, not even close. The woman at the beginning of the movie leaves him because of her celebrity status. She thought he'd only hold her back, so she left him. Owen meets Nadine shortly after his break up."

"The other woman sounds like a real bitch," he replied, eyes focused on her while she explained the movie to him. It was truly a low blow for any man, having a woman end the relationship over something as trivial as popularity. Nodding her head, a smile forming on her lips, she saluted him with the remote and giggled. It was both childish and adorable and, before he knew it, he was laughing at the sight in front of him.

"Now we're getting somewhere!" she exclaimed, eyes joyfully glancing to the screen. "She was a complete bitch and I hate women like her. So, as I was saying, Owen meets Nadine and they become close friends, so close that Nadine ends up falling in love with him. After a night of passion - "

"You mean they fucked." he interrupted, annoyed by her choice of words. Blushing, she furiously shook her head and sighed. Even though she was adult, explaining sexuality in such a way made the act seem utterly worthless.

"Saying it like that implies that it didn't mean anything. To Nadine it meant everything, meant that Owen was finally over his fiancee and was ready to start a relationship with her. Every romantic comedy, however, has to have its own dramatic twist, so Owen's ex tries to get him back and he, being an idiot, takes her back."

"What about Nadine?" he asked, now somewhat intrigued by the story she was telling him.

"Owen apologized to Nadine but the damage had already been done. After a big fight, they stopped talking to each other and Owen returns to his fiancee. However, it doesn't take him long to realize how stupid he was. After a while, he realizes that he was in love with Nadine all along, breaks up with the other woman, and tries to win Nadine over." Yawning, she stretched out her hands.

"So, does he win her back?" Levi asked. His eyes were wide with anticipation, almost as if he actually wanted to know how the story ended but Yuki simply gave him another giggle and returned to the futon laid out in the center of the room. Setting herself down, she snuggled herself back in to Levi's arms and, with the remote still in her hand, she enveloped his arms around her waist and smiled.

"You're about to find out," she began. Setting the bowl back on her lap, she resumed the movie and rested her head back against his chest. "This is the best scene in the movie."

"You're already spoiling it Yuki." Giving her a quick peck on the cheek, he turned his gaze to the screen and watched the final minutes of the film play out before them. There wasn't much left to the movie, just a few cheesy lines about him learning the error of his ways, loving her, and him playing back all the saved messages on his phone to her. Ultimately it ended with the two of them kissing and, by then, Yuki had the sweetest look on her face as the on-screen couple finally came together.

It was sweet and beautiful. Though she knew reality couldn't work like that, the romance is movies like these always managed to bring a smile to her face and, while watching this expression on her face, adorable and cute, Levi pulled her closer to him and buried his head in to her hair. Her ability to pull these emotions out of him, how she could lighten his mood with a simple smile - even a glance - filled his heart with a joy he'd never experienced before. Without a doubt in his mind, he knew that none of his memories could compare to the ones he was making with her.

"You're so freaking cute," he mumbled, his lips lightly brushing against her hair. The scent of her vanilla hair blazed against him, so strong against his senses that he could barely find words to express how enticing it was as he took it in. It was inviting and comfortable, all at his disposal, and he couldn't help his actions as he brushed away her hair and moved his lips against the back of her neck. "You smell nice."

"Y-you like it," she said, almost choking on her words due to the quick change in pace. "I've been using it for a while now, bought it before I left for Kyoto." Snickering, with his lips still against her neck, he placed his hands against her shoulders and began to lightly knead in to her tense muscles.

"Remind me to thank whoever sold it to you." Her muscles tensed against his hands and, shamefully, he slowed his pace and turned her face to his. He knew he was making her uncomfortable, and it made him feel guilty knowing he'd caused this reaction from her.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" He asked, eyes shamefully looking down at the floor. He couldn't help himself around her. Anytime he had her in his arms it felt as though time ceased to exist. Every though he had, every action made was one that revolved around being close to her and now, knowing that he'd taken it too far, he felt terrible.

"Levi," Yuki began, hands reaching out to grab his face. Meeting his gaze, she pressed her lips against his forehead and shook her head. "I'm not uncomfortable, I promise." Scrunching her nose together, a small laugh escaped her lips and, catching him off guard, she slowly captured his lips with hers. At first, Levi was startled but he quickly gave in to the kiss and let his emotions take over once more. Grabbing the collar of his shirt, she drew his mouth closer to his but, after a few moments of bliss, she released his lips from hers and pressed her lips against the corner of his mouth. "Would I do that if I were uncomfortable?"

"I guess not." he replied, turning his face away from her once more.

"So don't worry about it!" she exclaimed, eyes wavering with doubt. She took a deep breath, steadied her face, then stared deep into his eyes. "If I'm uncomfortable I'll tell you." Taking his hand in hers, she molded his fist in to a ball and playfully swatted herself on the nose. "See," she continued, eyes bright and cheerful. "Everything is just fine." Honestly, everything was far from fine. Their soft touches, their embraces, every moment they shared together could disappear at any moment, and that reality served as a dreadful reminder to her that what they had together could end when his memories returned.

Levi still had a shred of disbelief in his eyes as he stared at the bed beneath them. Her attempt to comfort him, admirable as it was, only worsened his discomfort. His thoughts were crawling away from him and playing horrible tricks in his head. The feelings he had for her were far beyond his range of control and, to him, it felt as if it was all a bit one-sided. How deeply he cared for, how much he was willing to do with her and for her in such a small amount of time could be seen, by most, as unhealthy and odd. He felt as if she'd been holding herself back from him, still afraid of showing her true self to him and, as a result, was unsure of how she felt towards him. He was still unsure of his feelings but knew that the growing affection he had for her was something he didn't want to rid himself of, and every shudder, each time she turned her gaze away from him bestowed upon him a lot of doubts and insecurities about where their relationship was headed.

"I wish I could help you feel better about it," he replied. He drew a hand to the back of her neck and began to trail circles against the exposed flesh with the tips of his fingers.

Her eyes were weary, had pity in them as he soothed her with his touch. The beginning of an apology had begun to form on her mouth but before she could form the words she withdrew and closed her eyes. What good could come from apologizing to him? She was certainly willing to explore how far they could go with their relationship; however, the though of having to lose it all when his memories returned kept her from truly showing him everything. He wanted to know everything about her, and she wanted to let him in on every single detail about herself but the final chain linking it all together, the final step was something that was hard for her to overcome. With a huff, she opened her eyes, pulled his hand to cup her cheek, and stared at him with hazy eyes.

"There isn't anything you can do," she replied, face leaning in to the touch of his hand against her. Slowly, she pressed a kiss to the palm of his hand and sighed. "Can't we just enjoy the time we have? Isn't that enough." She looked deep in to his eyes, saw the frustration on his face, and nearly drew herself away from him; however, his hand reaching to the other side of her face kept her from turning away from him.

He had an angry look on his face, almost looked as if he'd been offended by what she'd spoken to him; with his eyes clenched, irritation written all over his face, he reached out for one of her hands and quickly shoved it against his chest. She desperately wanted to look away from him, eyes were blinking away small tears as she witnessed him slowly break down in front of her. A lone tear had fallen down his face, his shoulders shook, lips were quivering, and his eyes shakily took in her features as he brought her hand up to his lips. Bending it slightly, he gave it a quick kiss before pressing his forehead to her wrist. As if on auto pilot, she moved her hand to his face and turned his direction towards her own shaky gaze. While gently brushing away the tear with her lips, she pushed his head in to the crook of her neck and held him close.

"Are you afraid?" he asked, voice raspy and unsure. Quickly, he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight. It was as if he was also afraid, afraid she'd disappear in front of him and he'd be alone with no one to comfort him.

"Yes," she choked. Tears were still threatening to spill from her eyes but she held strong for him. She knew where their conversation was headed, and she needed to have a good sense of mind in order to endure through it.

"What are you afraid of?" He nuzzled himself close in to her neck, arms wrapped around her waist in desperation. "is it me?" Shocked, eyes wide and troubled, she gripped the fabric on the back of his shirt and released a painful sob.

"It isn't your fault," she admitted, fingers running through his raven locks. "I'm the one with the problem." Pushing him away from her, she lightly shoved her hands against his chest and, nodding her head, motioned for him to lay down against the futon beneath them. Obliging her, he rested himself on the bed and, lying on his side, he pulled her in to his arm and sighed in to her neck. The air in the room was still tense but the comfort of the futon helped ease some of the stress that currently reeked through their bodies.

He still shook in her arms, visibly showed her his discontent towards their situation. On one end, he understood her point of view and knew why she was so afraid; yet, another part of him refused to let go of everything happening between them. She was an angel to him, so sweet and sincere, and every moment shared with her only deepened the feelings he had for her.

"I'm scared too Yuki." An unpleasant growl escaped his lips. "I know that my memories will come back." He urged his hand to her face and tilted it to face him. Dejected, he shifted her so that her body completely faced him. Her tears had come in full force now, silently sobbing before him. The stress had finally gotten to her and had resulted in her cracking in front of him. She'd wanted to be strong for him but she could barely keep her own emotions in check as she heard him speak to her. With one sentence, he'd targeted all her fears and doubts and it had finally rushed to her. She wanted whatever they had between them to work but she feared he'd abandon her.

"Please don't cry Yuki." In a fit of rage, she pushed her body away from his and sat herself up. Arms folded, she stared down at him with an expression that made his blood run cold.

"Don't you dare tell me how to feel!" Rubbing her eyes, she attempted to dry away some of the tears but all her efforts were in vain. He'd broken her and she didn't know what to do. "Don't you understand my feelings? What if you have a family?! What if you have a wife and kids waiting on their father to come home?"

"Those things don't matter!" Still lying on the futon, he attempted to reach out to grab her arm but she slapped his hand away from him and clenched her teeth.

"You don't understand anything!" Gripping her hands together, she turned her back away from him and allowed her shoulders to sag. "Once you have your memories back you'll have nothing holding you here. You'll return to your home and forget all about me. I'll be nothing more than a -"

Infuriated, he grabbed her wrist and pushed her back down on to the futon. Hovering over her, seeping with rage, his eyes dangerously stared in to her fearful eyes and, in one quick motion, he pressed his hands against both her wrists and pinned her down. He had the lower half of his body forced against her legs to prevent her from running away from him; however, the very act of doing such a thing to her made him feel guilty.

"Let me go!" He shook his head.

"Not until you listen to me!" Instantly, she found herself trapped with his chest against hers as his lips forcefully crashed on to hers. He released one of his hands and pressed it under the small of her back and, as he pulled her closer, he released a strangled moan. After the initial shock had worn down, Yuki finally melted in to his touch but before things could get heated he pulled away and looked deeply in to her eyes.

"I'm afraid of what will happen but I will never leave you." he spoke the words slow and soft, afraid of everything he was about to talk to her about. Holding her close, he dipped his head in to her neck and pressed his lips to her ear. "I don't know what the future holds for us. I can only promise you that I will never abandon you. We've only know each other for a short amount of time but, even so, I've learned that having you in my life is something I can't live without." Shocked, Yuki silently sobbed in to his shoulder and gripper her arms around his back.

"Don't say things like that. Don't make promises if you can't keep them." she replied, tears still streaming down her face.

Shaking his head, he released her from his grip and pushed himself off of her. With his body now facing her from the side, he propped himself up with his elbow and stared down at her. With a soft smile on his face, he pressed his his hand to her cheek and softly kissed the ends of her eyes in an attempt to brush away the tears that were on display.

"I'm not promising you anything. Those are my intentions. I intend to keep you in my life and you can't do anything about it." He had a clear look of adoration as he stared at her flushed appearance, and the feel of his hand against her burning flesh made it hard for her to deny him anything. She wanted to believe him, wanted to give him everything she had, and every look and touch he gave her made it harder for her to resist the love he was giving her.

"You're promise?" she asked, hand reaching out to his. Softly kissing his fingers, she pulled his hand to her cheek and smiled in to his touch. "You won't forget about me?" Shaking his head, he gave her a short kiss and chuckled.

"I could never forget about you." He pointed to his head and snickered. "You're in here now and there's now way I'm letting that go."

Yawning, he rested himself back on to the futon and motioned for her to lay beside him. After getting herself comfortable, she was once again back in his arms; however, this time the tension had dissipated and now they were only focused on the soft beating of both their hearts combined as one. Eyes closed, they both drifted in to a comfortable silence and fell asleep in each others arms.


	14. Chapter 14

The air was stiff. A misty haze of fog had covered the entire area as if it were the beginnings of a twisted dream of a reality long forgotten. There existed a ghostly silence that echoed in to the distance like ripples in a river; however, when fragments of sound cut through the smog the earth would lightly quake for a brief moment then shudder back in to oblivion. From a distance, the sight seemed all to surreal; despite seeing a few trees and small beams of sunlight from the sky, all that existed was this grayish nightmare. From all ends of the earth that existed there stood a darkness that was slowly drawing itself to the scene and, rising to this darkness, were five blurry figures riding their horses towards it a full speed. Four faces of the group were indiscernible, eyes and lips seemingly erased; however, the face leading the group was as clear as a crystal lake. Dull silver eyes looked off in to the distance, raven hair battling with the winds that crushed around them and, though he had this bored expression on his face, his actions spoke louder than the emotions that had fallen from his face.

"Gunther!" Levi exclaimed. Reining in his horse, he came to a halt and turned to look behind him. Eyes widened for a fraction then he pointed off to an unseen direction and nodded his head. "Head west with Oluo and lay out the formation." The figures he'd directed his attention to gave him a curt nod and rode their horses off in to their directed position. Then, moments later, Levi turned to the final member of the group and closed his eyes. "Petra, you'll head east and distract any of the titans from my position." With a lone hand balled up and proudly fastened to the figures chest, a final salute was given before Petra rode away.

"I won't let you down, Sir!" shouted the figure before riding away from him. With one final nod, he looked to his left and right and noticed that he could no longer make out the blurred visions of his crew and only noticed tiny specks of wind rushing away in to the darkness that was closing in on them.

"Be sure that you don't," Levi muttered. Looking before him, he had a clear view of the scene before him, the fog that was drawing closer and closer to him by the second. He'd made the decision to travel to it; however, without trying the fog was coming to him and that sent a wave of displeasure throughout his cold body. Winds, cold and fierce, wrapped around him in one gusted wave and almost forced him to the ground but he held fast and, through clenched eyes, attempted to see off in to the distance once more.

Something didn't set right with him. The darkness seemed to be running to him in all directions and, as the walls were closing in on him, all he could do was stare off in the fog in front of him and shake his head. He appeared calm on the outside but inside his nerves were running wild and were frozen with a fear he hadn't felt in a long time. It was entirely unsettling and he despised the feelings within him for, in his heart and his mind, he knew he had to be strong at this moment.

"What is all this?" He thought. Gripping the reins, he clenched his legs together and attempted to push the horse forward but, strangely, the horse wouldn't move. Slowly, he ran his hands through the horses mane and tried to soothe it a bit before trying again but, like before, the horse wouldn't budge and the feeling inside his chest, that daunting emotion gripping at his core, was getting worse.

"Is everything all right Levi?" asked a soft and subtle voice. Startled, Levi shook his head, gripped tightly on the reins, and slowly began to search around his current position. The voice seemed so familiar, as if he'd heard it before in a dream; and, as his eyes and ears desperately looked for the voice, a sense of dread and worry overcome his body. He looked in all direction and saw that nothing existed around him, only a soft echo of the warm voice that had spoken to him and, head drawn to the ground below, he clenched his fists and gave his horse another quick nudge; however, the horse still wouldn't move. He thought about making the trek on foot, somehow knew that he'd have an easier time that way but, unfortunately, he couldn't will himself to attempt such a feat. It was as if some unseen force kept him locked in this position.

"Who are you?" he asked, giving in to the will of the voice. At this point, he was unsure of himself but every other option had vanished from him so he continued the charade. "Where are you?" His shoulders jumped when the soft voice rose once more, a timid chuckle filling the air as he looked up to the sky. There was only darkness, and in this darkness the joviality of the voice sent chills down his spine as it rippled around him likes waves against a shallow bank.

"Who am I?" asked the voice, pitch raised and filled with laughter. "I thought you knew me Levi." A dark shadow filled the area, small but large enough for Levi to recognize and, as the shadow took form before him, it took on a humanly form. He couldn't make out the shadows features but knew by the curves on its sides and the thin curve of its neck that it took on the figure of a woman. Now, who this woman was remained a question that only the shadow could answer and that very question rattled Levi's brain beyond reason. He knew nothing about the situation or what was going on before him but he still sat on his horse, staring at the shadow and unable to move.

"How do I know you?" he asked while unconsciously reaching a hand out in front of him. "Maybe you could answer that question. You seem to know me well." The shadow laughed, hearty and loud before him and nearly shook him to the ground as it began to spiral quickly around his body. He attempted to use his free hand to swat out the cyclone around him but felt the sting of its winded bite slash through his skin and, quickly, he safely drew his hand back to the back of the horses neck and clenched his teeth. "If you value your life you'll stop toying with me. Show yourself and I'll make sure to end your life quickly."

He could feel the gust of the cyclone growing faster and faster around his body and, in one final swoop, a large force pushed him from the horse and sent him crashing to the ground below. He wasn't severely injured, had a few cuts and bruises on his face, arms, and legs and could feel the weight of the blow aching in to his back and, even though he'd been lifted from his horse, he still found himself unable to move from the shadow that lurked closer and closer towards him. Perhaps it was the fear inside his body that froze him solid but he didn't have enough time to understand the reality of it. Within a matter of seconds the shadow appeared before him once more and, now closer to it, the features of the shadow became much clearer to him as its arms softly wrapped around his waist.

The features of a woman were much clearer now. Blue hair fell over her face in waves, beautiful eyes that could draw anyone to them in a matter of minutes, and there was a smile on her face as she held him in her arms. The severity of her actions before had long been forgotten and she now held within her arms a certain kind of care that terrified him, as if she were a predator calming down its prey before the kill.

"I thought you cared about me?" asked the voice, somewhat saddened by the pain of the situation. "Don't you remember me Levi?" Shaking his head, he attempted to break free from the shadow but her grip on his body, though soft and fragile, was enough to keep him locked in her arms. He couldn't even break his gaze away from her beautiful eyes, eyes that looked deep in to his soul and made him feel emotions that he'd locked deep inside his heart.

"Who the hell are you!" He screamed while trying to fight her away from him. "Why are you doing this to me? Just let me go!"

"Look at me Levi. Just look in to my eyes and remember."

Slowly, face shaking as he steadied his eyes to her, he studied her face and noticed how warm her smile was. He found himself unable to speak as he stared in to her loving eyes, eyes that looked deep in to his soul and gave him the comfort he needed to relax in her embrace. This all seemed too familiar but, strangely, he couldn't place her in his mind. Her memory no longer existed in his life and, with that realization, he felt a pang of sadness overcome his body as he clenched his hands around her petite arms. With one hand still on her arm, he slowly placed the other against between his eyes and drew his head to the ground. Tears were threatening to spill from his eyes and he couldn't understand why those tears wanted to break through his barriers. Could her presence, could the memories he had of her be that powerful to him? Confusion was all he could sense as he felt wet tears fall down his face.

"How do I know you?" He asked, body shaking desperately in her arms. "Why am I crying?" Flinching, he pressed his hand against his cheek and felt the woman's hand resting on it. She softly brushed away his tears and calmly stared in to his dull eyes.

"It's me Levi...it's Yuki."

That name seemed so familiar, so warm in his mind as the woman spoke to him. How did he know her so we'll? He had all these feelings running through his head as she stared at him but he couldn't find the memories that related to those emotions. All he could do was stare in to her entrancing eyes and let his tears flow down his face. His body kept shaking, eyes wavering as he tried to place her memory in his mind; however, after countless tries, he gave up and buried his head in the crook of her neck. Throughout all this the winds kept rushing around them both, dark spirals of dust and debris around their bodies as he warmed himself in her embrace. Somehow, within her arms he lost all sense of time and space and had completely forgotten about their surroundings.

"Why can't I remember?" He asked, eyes closed and thoughtful. "You seem like someone I need to know."

"It's all right," she said, hands gripping the back of his neck. Pulling him close in to her neck, she kissed her lips to his hair and began to rub her hands against his muscles. "Just close your eyes and stay calm. It'll all be over soon."

"Wha-" His eyes jerked up to meet her face. Her lips still formed an endearing smile; however, the air of the atmosphere had suddenly taken a turn for the worse as the winds around them grew louder and much more violent. He could feel the piercing winds slicing through his skin like needles raining down from the sky and, in her eyes, stood these pools of darkness that no longer captivated his heart. For once in his life, he was frightened of the events taking place before him and, now, all he wished and wanted was to extricate himself from the area; however, her hold against his neck, fierce and violent, kept him from running away.

"What's going on?" he asked, mouth wide as he placed his hands against her face. She had a Glasgow grin against her lips as she stared down at him, silently laughing as she shook her face against his rugged hands. Her face twitched beneath his calloused hands, eyes wide with a sudden fear that sent tremors throughout his body and, as she shook in his arms, he felt a sudden wave of dread overcome his senses.

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die," she repeated, over and over like broken record and the worry of those words were written all over her face as fear and sweat mixed to form the most unpleasant sight he'd ever seen. He tried to steady her face in his arms but, effortlessly, she threw herself away from his arms and on to the ground and, her frail whimpers lost to silence as the darkening fog enveloped her.

"Yuki! Where are you!" He tried to reach out in to the smog to search for any part of her that he could hold on to but, like water in a hot sun, she'd evaporated and was lost to him in the darkness that had at last completely surrounded him. "Please don't leave me here."

Beside himself with grief and worry, he let out an exasperated sigh before throwing his head to the ground. Kissing his elbows to the top of his head, through lidded eyes, he looked up to the sky above him and caught the last Ray of light before the shadows that lingered around him overcame the area. His heart pounded fiercely in his chest, had a gasping breath that choked any of the words that were threatening to spill from his mouth. He didn't understand the irrational fear that he had but knew that losing Yuki to the darkness had something to do with it.

"P...ple...he..." The words were there on the tip of his tongue but even couldn't muster the course to speak as his body, shaking and cold, betrayed him in ways that utterly confused him.

"Why couldn't you save us!" Shouted a voice, far away yet loud enough for him to hear.

"Why didn't you trust us!" Spoke another. The voice was closer, painfully loud and throbbing in to his mind. He clenched his eyes, furiously swatted his hands over his head and, digging his fingers in to his skull, he began to pull at his hair in an attempt to distract himself from the sounds around him.

"Help us! Save us big bro!"

This voice struck a chord in his heart as it spoke to him. Hands still ripping away at his hair, he widened his eyes and began to search through the darkness once more for any sign of Yuki, any sign of a light that would lead him out of this hellish nightmare. Testing the waters, he shook his legs a fraction before attempting to stand himself up and, finally, his body allowed him to move away from the ground. Slowly, he rose up through the fog that circled around his body in small spirals and, through the mist, he could barely make out small fragments of light off in to the distance. Now able to move, he began to take small languid steps towards the beams with a sense of purpose that he hadn't had before. Fear and worry still flowed throughout his body but, now that he was no longer frozen by that fear, he was able to shake it off and move forward.

After walking for around thirty minutes, still hardly close to his destination, he heard a loud noise from behind him, large footsteps that shook the ground beneath his feet and. Startled, Levi turned his head to look back and, noticing that nothing was behind him, he continued walking at a brisk pace. After taking a few more steps, he felt the earth shake once more and, not wanting to turn around this time, he chose to quicken his steps until he was almost running from the unknown force behind him. He ran a short distance, face only focused on the light in front of him and, like before, the ground shook once more; however, this time to quake threw him to the ground. Knees padded in to the earth, he wrapped his arms around his stomach and felt a throbbing pain overtake his senses. He sifted his hands in to the dirt beneath him and, body shaking and fearful, he quickly turned himself around and saw a sight that chilled him to the core.

It was a giant, a monster that towered over him like an ant to a human and, for once in his life, he had no words to describe the fear that had wrapped around his body. He could hardly breathe as he stared at the large feet and legs of the monster before him, and the air around his body choked the life out of his eyes as he slowly trailed his gaze up to its torso. The giant in front of him held no form and its sex was indiscernible, just a daunting figure that appeared human but, on the same end, seemed to be from another world entirely. When his eyes reached the neck, he began to notice certain features that made the hairs on his body stand up. He saw a petite hand dangling in the air, lifeless yet seemingly reaching out for something as it waved in the air. Centering his eyes, he drew his gaze to the hand and followed the path until a horrific sight came to life before him. Yuki, at least what was left of her, was inside the monsters mouth. Her eyes were wide, barely alive with a silent scream on her lips as she desperately stared at him. There were fresh pools of crimson pouring from her eyes and mouth, and the pallor of her skin matched the air around them. The front half of her body convulsed before him and, as tears rolled down his eyes, he fell to his knees. With one hand gripping his chest, he shot his free hand in to the air and attempted to reach out to her. He knew it was a futile effort but some part of him believed his hands could wrap around hers and save her from the pain she was in.

"Le...Levi!" She let out a strangled cough and, as blood erupted from her mouth, she let a faint smile carry on her lips as she stared down at the shocked expression that had overcome his face. A wide array of emotions overtook her face as she battled with the pain against her flesh, or at least what was left of it and, letting the side of logic over take her senses, she closed her eyes and focused on stilling her body before him. Slowing her movements, she let her arm fall limp in the air and, with one final appreciative look at the man before her, she mouthed her endearments before allowing the final flame of her life to extinguish. As if on cue, the monstrous lips biting in to her torso began to swallow the rest of her body and, as Levi's shaking eyes watched her fade away, one final smile formed on her lips as she fell in to the depths of the giants mouth.

Levi could barely help himself as the sorrow collected on his eyes and rained on to his cheeks. Pounding his fists in to the ground, no longer aware of the monster towering over him, he let those tears fall in to the fog beneath him; then, and only then, did he finally remember every detail about the woman who'd died before him. The weight of her loss and the realization of her importance to him hit him like a ton of bricks. Knees buckling, he collapsed to the ground and shakily wrapped his hands around his arms as he let the haze cover him like a blanket. He'd lost the one thing in life that he truly cared about, and now the possibility of seeing her beautiful smile or hearing her contagious laughter was gone. He'd lost her to the wills of a monster and, sadly, he felt like he played a part in it.

"Yuki!" he screamed, his voice raspy and sorrowful. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." he screamed the words over and over until they were nothing more than a slur of strangled cries. Turning his face to the side, he released a sigh and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry Yuki."

Body shaking, Levi released a strangled cry and widely opened his shocked eyes. His heart rapidly beat in his chest and, eyes searching, he noticed that the hellish nightmare that had overtook him was no longer a reality; now, all that existed before him was Yuki softly snoring next to him, arms softly wrapped around his stomach and her head gently pressed against his shaking chest. There were beads of sweat all over his body and the heat against his flushed skin sent tremors all throughout him as he gently brushed his hands against Yuki's soft cheeks. Knowing it was just a dream, that the nightmare he'd had wasn't a reality, sent waves of relief all throughout his body as he slowly pulled her into a warm embrace. The feel of her skin against his wasn't enough to put his mind at ease but, having her close, was enough to ward off the terrifying thoughts that were creeping in. Yawning, Yuki slowly opened her eyes and turned her eyes to look up at Levi and, with a smile, she slowly pressed her lips against the corner of his mouth and nuzzled her face in to his neck.

"Hey there," she replied, releasing a pleasant chuckle. "How long have you been awake?" Stretching her feet, she draped one of her legs over his ankle and drew herself farther in to his embrace. Levi remained silent for a moment, eyes rolling in the back of his head as the warmth of her body filled his senses. Placing the palm of his hand against the back of her neck, he used his free hand to slowly rub against her back. He was still aware of the nightmare, still had the visions of her death vivid in his mind, and the thought of losing her to something as terrifying as the monster in that dream was quite unsettling.

"Are you okay?" she asked, slightly worried. He wanted to respond to her question, wanted to tell her everything was fine but fragments of the dream kept trying to play back in his mind as he stared off in to the black abyss of the living room. The monster in the dream, so large and destructive had in its essence something that reminded him of the life he had before he met her, and the people within the dream, though faceless, held some sort of importance in his life. He couldn't place all the pieces in the right order, couldn't remember how they all fit in to his life, and the reality of those things existing seemed quite far-fetched; however, he somehow knew that the truth behind those faces and the monster was something that would soon come back to him. Calming himself, he pressed his hand underneath her chin and tilted her face up to meet him.

"I'm fine Yuki, just had another nightmare." Her inquiring eyes gazed in to his. She wasn't satisfied with his response but, still tired, didn't feel a need to pry too deeply in to his response. Instead of calming him with her words, she pressed her lips against his forehead and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm here when you need me okay." Her words were mumbled, sleep still hazing over her speech as she played with the hair against his neck. Smiling, she nudged her nose in to his hair and took in the smell of his hair. "You smell nice," she continued, senses taking the faint smell of detergent against his raven locks. "Mr. Clean has nothing on you Mr. Levi." Obviously, since she was a bit sleep deprived, her words were far from the realm of sane as she tickled his skin. Letting out a quick laugh, Levi pulled her face to his and captured her mouth with his humored lips.

"I think your smell is better," he said while releasing her from his lips. Taking her hand in his, he drew her wrist up to his lips and gave it a slow kiss. "I think the smell of vanilla and honey is a bit better, don't you think?"

The quick turn of events, humorous and light, took his mind away from the dream and now all he could do was focus on the tired woman in front of him. She was so beautiful, charming in her own unique way, and all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and remember this wonderful moment for the rest of his life. Even without the memories of his past life, he felt as though the satisfaction from the events before him was enough for him. Perhaps he didn't need the weight of who he was reflecting on the life he wanted to live now, and the possibility of turning a new leaf and leading a life was her far outweighed the need to remember any of the things he did before he met her. In this moment, she was everything he needed and all he wanted to do was know more about her and learn about himself through her eyes.

"You're so beautiful Yuki." Patting her hair, he rested his chin against her head and smiled. "I know you want to take things slow but I don't know if I can wait as long as you." Sighing, he bit at his lower lip and scratched the top of his head. Burying his head in to her hair, he lowered his voice until it was barely a whisper and muttered three words that changed his world completely. "I love you. I don't expect you to say it back. I just had to get it off my chest"

He knew the words were true, knew that what he felt for her was something he could define with the words that just escaped his lips. He loved her, loved every detail about her and knew that the moments they shared together and the moments they would share in the future would only strengthen the love he had for her. Closing his eyes, he allowed his mind to settle and, as sleep claimed his body once more, he felt a wave of warmth overcome his body as the comforting embrace calmed his never.

Away from the warm embrace of the room, off near the waterfall where everything began, a faint blue light glowed behind the flowing waves of rushing water. The trees near the waterfall furiously waved back and forth, pink petals flowing around the air in a spiral of vibrant colors that played against the light in a vivid scene that was both amazing and terrifying. The ground lightly shook as the light, growing brighter by the second, began to dance against the rippling waves of the pond beneath it. Though it was hard to sense anything from the light, as bright as it was, there were clear visions of scenery inside its center.

Drawing closer to the scene inside the light, images of another world, though hazy, could be seen as well as a crowd of people in the distance riding on the horses that played out in Levi's nightmare. They were all dressed in a similar type of attire, tan pants with a maze of a belt wrapped around their legs and their waist. At their sides were cylindrical canisters and, effortlessly, spools of wire shot out from a shaft on their back and pushed them in to the air. Whipping around like birds in the sky, they fought against the monsters in his dream and, as the scene played out, the truth behind his nightmare became all to apparent as the individuals within these images began slicing against the monsters with the blades held in their hands. These images only lasted a moment before the light withdrew and fell in to the depths of the water; however, something in the atmosphere had changed.

Regardless of Levi's feelings on the matter, change would soon happen.


	15. Chapter 15

Yuki strolled in to the kitchen with a can of Lysol firmly wedged between her arms. The grip of the suns morning embrace shone brightly in the room and, eyes peeking out the window, noticed an array of petals gently padded against the pane. Levi stood straight above the kitchen sink brushing away the grim from its steely surface. Upon noticing Yuki's entering, he turned his eyes to her, gave her a welcoming smile, then quickly returned to the task before him. His hands moved with such grace against the grooves and creases as if handling a delicate piece of art and, eyes focused, he paid great attention to every detail before him so as to not miss any spot of dust or dirt. Giggling, Yuki trotted behind him and gave him a gentle pat on the back before setting her cleaning supplies on the counter next to him.

"How's my favorite clean freak doing this morning?" she asked, eyes sparkling. Seeing his eyes narrow, she bit back a laugh and, as his head turned away from hers, she threw an arm over his shoulder and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Awww...you know I'm only joking." Rolling his eyes, he gave her a curt nod and shot her a playful smirk. Knowing what he might do, she tried to quickly run away from him but, knowing how quick his reflexes were, she didn't stand a chance.

"How's this for a joke?" he asked. Without thinking, he dipped his hands in to the soap-filled sink and splashed her face with a large dose of warm water. The laughter that followed his actions enraged Yuki and, eyes wide as she glared at him, her soapy hands furiously swatting him on the back.

"You're the only one laughing!" she retorted, hands patting her damp hair. Sighing, she combed her hands through her azure locks in an attempt to fix the strands that had tangled. "Now my hair's all dirty again you jerk!" Cheeks puffed, imitating the actions of a child, she swatted him once more and began to frantically tap her feet to further the drama she was trying to create. Her immature actions only fueled his laughter and, removing his hands from the sink, he quickly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her petite frame in to his chest. Still angry with him, she tried to wriggle free from his embrace but, strangely, didn't care enough to try too hard to get away.

"Do I need to clean it for you?" He asked, lips curled in to a devilish smile. With her nose turned up, she turned her face away from him and rolled her eyes. His teasing wasn't something she had energy for this early in the morning, her mind still a bit groggy; though, thanks to him, he woke her up enough with his earlier actions.

"Please spare me your dirty thoughts." Clenching her fists, she walked to the counter and picked up one of the spare terry cloths next to the sink. Then, as she wrapped the cloth over her head, she gave Levi one final glare before thoroughly drying the wet mess on her head.

"How can I be dirty If I'm a clean freak?" He asked, the beginning of another laugh forming on his face; however, before he could show any form of amusement, Yuki threw the damp cloth in his face and stormed out of the kitchen. She had no idea why he could cause her to react in such a way, though for some reason she didn't care much about it. Regardless of where their relationship stood, she'd never been with a man who could infuriate her as much as he did and, despite herself, she welcomed every aspect of it. With all the others before him, she was cold and calculating, so wrapped up in her own ambitions that they never stood a chance at seeing those sides of her personality; perhaps, if she had delved further in to those relationships, they could have stood the test of time but, at least from her perspective, she preferred it this way.

This had become a new dynamic between them in the time since Levi's arrival. He'd been living at the shrine for almost two months and, now that they were comfortable with one another and their unique qualities, they had the courage to bicker with one another and tease each other about random occurrences during the day. Yuki didn't mind how things had changed between them; however, this comfortable sense of self with Levi was something that she felt shouldn't be normal. There hadn't been any signs of his memory returning to him, only faint memories of people he once knew but, as it stood, he couldn't place those names to any face in his mind. It was as though they were buried in the back of his mind, clawing their way up into his consciousness and tormenting him. Thankfully, Yuki stood by his side each time those "memories" would come back to him, her embrace and her kindness standing as the only thing between himself and the chaos rolling inside him.

Lost in his thoughts, Levi gazed outside the window as he slowly washed the dishes, his eyes full of concern as he thought about Yuki and their situation. His feelings for her were so foreign to him and, deep within himself, he knew he'd never experience them before. Though he'd whispered the words to her months ago, that he loved her, he couldn't be sure of himself as he stared up at the clouds outside. Sighing to himself, he closed his eyes, his hands submitted to the feeling of the water beneath his fingers as he finished his task. Though he was in a bit of a sour mood, his quickly erupted into a fit of laughter when he opened his eyes and saw Yuki before him, her hair standing up at all ends, shaggy and wet and furiously glaring at him. Despite her waving a brush in his face, her eyes angry, he couldn't help the laughter that broke inside him.

"That's a nice look you have there," he said, still trying to control his laughter. He placed a hand atop her head and ruffled it. She rolled her eyes, scoffing as she took a seat at the table.

"You're one to talk," she replied while brushing her hair. She winced a little as she combed through some tangled knots, then turned her eyes towards him. "You look like a shaggy dog." Though her words were playful, his eyes still narrowed at her as he turned to look at himself in the window.

Levi stared at his reflection through the window and grimaced at the sight of his long, unkempt hair. Since coming here, he hadn't payed much attention to what his hair looked like; however, looking at the sight of his hair as it was, he knew it was long overdue for some maintenance.

"You're right," he said, a hand on his chin as he studied his reflection. He turned to towards her and sighed. "What do you suppose I do about it?"

"A haircut!" Yuki exclaimed while clapping her hands together. Grabbing a towel, Levi cleaned his hands and joined her at the table, elbows resting on it as he studied her giddy expression.

"I take it this involves another trip to the city?" He asked, concern on his eyes as he remembered their last visit there. Nodding her head, Yuki poured herself a cup of tea from a pitcher on the table and began to sip on it.

"Yes, it does." She replied, eyes solemn as she stared into the watery contents of her cup.

"Are you ok with going back?"

Her eyes widened only a fraction before she set her cup down and looked his way. She understood his concern, considering how awful her last experience was when they visited; however, she couldn't let her fears keep her from hiding away from the rest of the world. She'd already extended her visit to Kyoto far longer than she'd expected and, though her hospital hadn't given her a definite time to come back, she felt a small pang of guilt at how long she'd been away; still, she had to go back to prove to herself that she could handle it. Osaka was, by and large, a big city. It was highly doubtful she'd run into anyone else that held a grudge against her. Shaking her head, she poured Levi a cup of tea and smiled at him.

"You need a haircut." Emitting a shaky laugh, she set the pitcher down and pushed her chair closer to him. "Look," she continued, hands threading together as she rested her elbows on the table. "I don't like the idea of going back all too much, but I can't let my fear get in the way of me living a normal life." Sighing into her hands, her forehead slightly resting on the table, she gave him a half-hearted chuckle and took his hand in hers. "I'm glad that you care, but I need to go back." Gripping her hand tightly, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it softly, then ruffled her hair again.

"Seems like someone gave you some good advice?" His eyes sparkled with amusement as he stared at her narrowed eyes through the cracks in her hands. Ruffling her hair even more, he removed his hand from hers and began to tickle her. As if in an instant, the mood had lightened considerably, Yuki's expression finally a bit more cheerful as she quickly reached out for Levi's hand to prevent him from even further embarrassment; there they were, sat at the table, playfully teasing one another as Yuki's uncle walked into the kitchen.

"The two of you seem to be in a good mood?" Kage exclaimed while walking to the sink to pour himself a glass of water. With his back turned, Yuki and Levi composed themselves, smiles still written on their faces as they calmed themselves down. Turning to face Levi, Kage pulled out a key from his pocket and laid in down on the table. It had an ancient look to it; unlike the key's he'd seen months before when they had driven him from the hospital.

"What is this?" Levi asked, eyes focused on the key.

Joining them at the table, Kage took a huge gulp of water and somewhat forcefully slammed it on the table, Levi wincing a bit at the sound it made when it connected with the surface. Though he couldn't place where it was coming from, seeing this key ignited something inside of him that sent a wave of unease throughout his body.

"I went to the waterfall where Yuki found you and found this laying in the water." Clearing his throat, he pushed it closer towards Levi, hoping it might spark something inside of him and, hopefully, jolt back some of his memories. "Does this mean anything to you?"

Silently, Levi studied the key, that same uneasy feeling entering his body as he looked at it. Somehow, he knew the key didn't belong to him but, at the same time, he knew that it had some connection to his memories, memories he honestly didn't care to remember. Looking over at Yuki, he saw how focused she was on him and the worry that had crept up on his face and, sadly, she was the only reason why he couldn't bring himself to bring those memories back. This life with her, the joy he had in this home, and the life he was starting to build with her and her uncle, was something he didn't want to let go of. Slowly, he pushed the key back to her uncle and shook his head.

"I've never seen this before." Eyes narrowed, he sent Kage a icy glare as softly gripped on to one of Yuki's hands.

"Is that so?" Kage asked, eyes glancing over at his niece then back at Levi.

"Yes, it is."

Picking the Key back up, Kage carefully put it back inside his pocket then finished the rest of his water. Though he didn't like how quickly their relationship had evolved, he knew Levi cared deeply for his niece and, as he looked at his niece and how worried she was for him, she knew she held a deep affection for him as well. Who was he to get in the way of that? Still, he knew he'd have to confront Levi eventually. Each day, he grew closer towards regaining his memories, and he needed to know what his intentions would be once they were all intact.

"Yuki," Kage said, looking over at his niece.

"What is it?" she asked, hand still tightly gripping Levi's.

"I overheard you talking about going into the city?"

Shaken from her worry, Yuki nodded her head and gave her uncle a giddy smile, her hand still holding Levi's as she turned to look at him. Like he had done to her earlier, she playfully ruffled her hands through his shaggy hair and poked him in the side.

"Mr. shaggy here needs a haircut." Her eyes danced jovially as she stuck her tongue out at Levi, her hands still tickling his sides as he used his free hand to swat her hand away. Though Levi was still a bit shaken by the sight of the key, her teasing helped lighten his mood a bit as softly chuckled.

"If you're going to the city, can you run an errand for me?" Kage asked as he rose from the table.

"What kind of errand." Yuki asked while sipping some more of her tea.

A soft blush rose to her uncles cheeks as he reached in one of the pockets from his jacket. Pulling out a letter, he handed it to his niece and went back to the sink to pour himself another glass of water.

"I need you to go to the Aoyama flower market and deliver that letter to a woman named Tomoe." The blush continued to flow throughout his cheeks as he turned away from his ever observant niece, hoping she wouldn't notice how flustered he was by just handing her the letter; though, it was all in vain as a sly smirk fell on her lips as she slid the letter in to her wallet.

"is this where we get the flowers for the shrine?" Yuki asked, smirk still written on her face as she took another sip of her tea.

"It is," Kage replied while drinking some more of his water. "Most of the flowers you see at the shrine have come from her."

"And how long have the two of you been in business?" Releasing her hand from Levi's, she walked up towards her uncle and threw a hand around his shoulder.

"I've been doing business with Miss Tomoe since you left for Osaka." Rolling his eyes, he turned to look at his niece and noticed the smug look on her face as she smiled at him. Though she could be a bit brainless at times, she could always see right through any barrier he'd tried to create; however, the smile turned a bit sour as she seemed to be deep in thought; then, as he went to drink from his cup, he found himself choking on his water as his niece slapped him on the back.

"If its been that long, why haven't you done anything?!" Yuki exclaimed while punching her uncle in the arm.

Glaring at her, Kage forcefully grabbed his niece by the wrist and pushed it away. His eyes widened a bit as he noticed the hurt on her eyes, but she should have known, more than anyone else, why something of that nature was difficult for him. Sighing, he patted her on the head and pulled her in to his side for a hug.

"Sorry about that," Kage replied softly, eyes softening as he patted his niece's hair.

"It's ok Kage," Yuki replied, eyes turned towards the ground. Squeezing her tightly against her side, Kage slapped her on the back and pushed her back towards Levi. Bidding his goodbyes to the two of them, he headed out of the kitchen sent them one final nod before walking outside.

Throughout the exchange, Levi watched the interactions between Yuki and her uncle and, though he was silent through it all, he felt a strange sense of comfort in the room as they conversed. He felt as if he were home with the two of them, if he could even call it his home. He'd only been there for two months, yet he felt as though he belonged here with them, as if this was the life, he'd been meant to have all along. When Yuki finally sat back down beside him, she rested her head on her shoulder and let out a dejected sigh.

"Everything ok?" Levi asked while combing his hands through her hair. Nodding her head, Yuki buried her head into the crook of his neck.

"Are you sure?" He knew he shouldn't press the matter, given how her temper could be, but he was genuinely concerned.

"I was just remembering my aunt." Looking up into this eyes, she pointed towards a photo on the wall, a picture of her uncle and a woman with blue hair and hazel eyes. Studying the photo, Levi was surprised at how similar the woman was to Yuki in almost every way. Kage was a bit younger in the photo, at least by twenty years, so at the time the photo was taken the woman must have been around the same age as Yuki. They looked identical, almost as if they could've been sisters.

"Is that your Aunt?" he asked, unsure of what else to ask. Nodding her head, Yuki got up and pulled the photo from wall, handing it to Levi as she sat back down.

Though she'd told him that she was ok, she couldn't help feeling a great deal of grief as she looked at the picture of her Aunt. It brought back so many painful memories, memories that she'd spent most of her childhood trying to forget; however, as she sat next to Levi, she felt as though she could finally share that part of her past with him, a past that she rarely shared with anyone. Before she knew it, she felt Levi's arms turn her body to face his, his eyes full of worry as he held her face in his hands; as if in a daze, she pressed her hands to her eyes and felt tears trickling out of them.

"I didn't realize I was crying." She said, eyes focused on Levi's as she pressed her forehead to his.

"What's wrong Yuki." Yuki knew he wouldn't press the matter if she told him to wait, but she wanted to share with him. She wanted him to know about her past.

"Her name was Mina."

"Mina?" Levi asked, eyes looking back at the woman in the photo.

"She was my mother's sister." Her eyes held in them a great deal of sorrow as she looked deeply into Levi's eyes. She looked so weary as she stared at him, and Levi couldn't help but feel a need to protect her from whatever demons were eating away at her. Pulling her in to his arms, he buried her head into the crook of his neck once more, his hands wrapping around her waist as he pulled her in to his lap. They were in that position for a few moments before Yuki pulled her head away and looked up at him.

"Can we go lay down for a bit?" she asked, her heart not up for anything else other than rest.

Nodding his head, Levi helped her up off his lap and began to head towards the futon in the living room; shaking her head, Yuki grabbed Levi by the hand and began to lead him down the hallway, her eyes set on an open door at the end of it.

"Where are we going?" Levi asked, a bit of a blush forming on his face.

"We're going to my room. I don't want Kage walking in on us." Ignoring the blush on his face, Yuki opened the door and led Levi into her room, the morning light dancing on her face as she noticed the open blinds from her window. Walking up to them, she looked outside her window and stared at her uncle tending to the flowers outside, a sad smile covering her face as she closed them and darkened the room. Turning towards Levi, she sat herself on the bed and buried her hands in to forehead as more tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Closing the door, Levi sat beside her and pulled her in to his chest as she cried.

"If you don't want to talk about, then don't." As she sat there in his arms, all he could think of was protecting her and ensuring that she had no reason to be upset; however, deep inside himself he felt as if there was something she wanted to share with him.

"I want to tell you Levi."

Nodding his head, Levi laid her down on the bed and settled himself next to her, his body resting on its side as he lovingly brushed away some of the tears that had formed around her eyes. As beautiful as she was in the position, Levi patiently waited for her to gather the courage to speak to him, his eyes never leaving hers as he pulled her close to him.

"When I was five, my father, mother, and my aunt died in a tragic accident," she began, eyes still on the verge of tears as she pressed her body comfortably into Levi's. "We were on our way back from the city and it had been raining that night. All I can remember is my father veering off the road…. everything else is a bit hazy, but I remember seeing this blue light shining in front of me as we crashed into a river."

Freezing in her arms, Levi's eyes widened as a memory suddenly came back to him, a blue light as a nameless figure crawled towards it desperately. The memory shook him to his core and knowing that she had experience something similar was more than just a coincidence in his opinion.

"A blue light," he asked as he brought her face up to meet his eyes. Nodding her head, she cupped his cheek as more tears spilled down her eyes.

"All I remember after that is waking up next to the river, laying beside the bank, crying my eyes out." These memories of hers were so painful to dredge up, but she'd grown as a person and knew she had to face the past regardless of how horrific is was. She had to do it for her family, at least to honor their memories and who they were as people. "The police searched for days, but their bodies were never recovered, and then Kage took me in as his own. He became my legal guardian after that."

Staring into her eyes, Levi saw how painful reliving all of that was for her, but he sensed a newfound resolve in her eyes as she looked at him. He knew that it was something she had to do for herself in order to move on from the insecurities of her past. She wanted to share this part of herself to him because she trusted him enough to handle those memories with care. She trusted Levi enough to take care of her.

"Levi?" Yuki asked, face heated as she stared into his eyes.

Heart beating in his chest, his eyes widening as he cupped her face in his hands, he crushed his lips to hers and pulled her body close to his. Though she had only shared a portion of her past with him, she'd conveyed to him that by sharing this memory, she also trusted him with her heart, and his mind and body were suddenly flooding with emotions that had been weighing on him for the past two months. His feelings for her had been spiraling out of control since he'd met her, and now he couldn't hold them back anymore as his lips furiously covered every inch of her face. Pulling her in to a tight embrace, he buried her face into his chest and tried to calm himself down.

"I love you." Yuki could barely make the words out as he spoke them, but she heard them nonetheless, and she froze in his arms, unable to process them as cried into his chest. "I know you may not feel the same way, but I can't hold it back anymore." Levi cupped her chin and slowly drew her face up to his. Though he wanted to say more to her, his eyes were mesmerized by blush that had crept on her face. Along with her tears that had somewhat stilled on her face, she seemed somewhat ethereal inside the dimly light room. His heart continued to pound in his chest as he brushed his thumb along her lips, his fingers tracing along her face as he etched the memory of her in his mind.

"Levi….." Yuki was at a loss for words, yet she still had enough energy to rest her palm against his cheek, his face leaning into her touch as his eyes closed. She knew their relationship had been a bit unconventional at first, the two of them falling into a somewhat romantic routine almost instantly, but she was drawn to him in a way she couldn't describe, as if she'd known him her entire life and she didn't want to let that feeling go. She needed him in her life, and if that meant she loved him, then she could care less about how unconventional it all was. All she knew was that she was never letting go of what they had.

"I love you too." Eyes widening slightly, Levi's mouth dropped for a moment, and in an instant Yuki's lips were on his, eyes pooling with tears as she poured all of her emotions into the moment they were sharing. Levi could feel himself on the brink of tears as well, but his body and his heart were lost in the moment as he climbed on top of her and laid her back against the bed, his hands gently sliding up and down her sides as he stared in to her hazel eyes.

No words were needed in this moment, as Levi's lips traveled down her neck and to her jaw. His need for her in this moment was so strong, and he couldn't control what he was feeling for her. He needed her just as much as she needed him. Staring deeply in to her eyes once more, his body towering over hers, he kissed her lips softly and smiled.

"Are you sure?" he asked as he wiped away the rest of her tears.

"I am," she replied, nodding her head as she pulled his lips back against hers. Breathing softly against her lips, Levi slowly began to lift her shirt above her head, his lips kissing against her stomach as he pinned them back against the headboard. Throwing the shirt to the floor, Levi latched his lips against her shoulder as one hand softly brushed against her breasts, her body jolting in pleasure, a moan escaping her lips as she gave in the sensation. Smiling in to her shoulder, his lips traveled downward and sent a teasing lick to them in the hopes that he could hear more of her, etch more of this pleasure in to his mind as he nipped and sucked her mounds as if he were high on a drug, an ecstasy that he wasn't let go of anytime soon.

"You are so beautiful Yuki," he said as his lips traveled down her stomach.

"Oh Levi…" Her blush had crept along her face, her head reeling back in pleasure as he sent a wave of new emotions all throughout her body. She'd never been this close with anyone and, though she wasn't a virgin, no other man had ever made her feel as desired as he was making her feel right now. He looked at her as if there were no other options, as if she was the only woman who could make him whole, and it was one of the greatest feelings in the world. So lost in her pleasure as she was, she could barely register him removing the rest of her clothes, his body kneeling at the edge of the bed and her legs spread wide. When she finally regained some of her composure, she stared down at him, her chest heaving up and down as he pressed his lips against her, her mind and body reeling in pleasure as gripped his hands in to her thighs and pushed her hips closer to his mouth. Threading her hands into his hair, she knew this was his way of showing his love for her, at least in this moment when their words failed to reach their lips. His kisses, his touch, his embrace was all a part of his love letter to her.

Levi was swimming in a pool of desire as he buried his lips into her, his lips nipping her thighs and anywhere else he could touch as his heart throbbed inside his chest. His love for her was all consuming and, as he removed his pants, seeing them fall to his feet, he crawled up her body and wrapped his arms around her neck.

"I love you so much Yuki." He brushed some hair away from her face and kissed her forehead, yet again speaking out his love as he held his head there for a moment. "I will always love you. Wrapping her hands around his neck, Yuki crushed her lips to his once more, and in the heat of the moment she felt him enter her, his body thrusting in hers slowly as if to commit it memory for the two of them, so afraid to let of what they were sharing.

"You feel so damn good," Levi exclaimed softly as he gently bit into her neck, his thrusting still as slow as he could manage. Moaning into his kiss, Yuki thrust her hips up as forcefully as she could, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she heard him release a loud groan as he bit more forcefully into her neck. The slow dance of theirs soon became too much for the two of them the bare as Yuki clenched around him, his thrusting becoming a bit more erratic as he gripped on to her waist.

"Please Levi!" Yuki exclaimed, her eyes closing in pleasure as she wrapped her arms around her waist and brought her body close to his. Holding her close, Levi continued to thrust in to her, his pace as quick as he could manage and their lips battling for dominance as they held each other close; then, with one final, pleasuring thrust, he released in to her and fell back with her on to the bed. There they were, a tangle mess amidst the sheets of her bed, bodies drenched with sweat as they stared deeply into each other's eyes.

All Yuki could do was smile at Levi, her body spent from their time together, and she nuzzled herself deep into his chest, content with what they had become; Levi, finally at peace with emotions for her, knew in his heart where he belonged. Whatever past he had, whatever demons were lingering inside his mind, he would fight them forever to keep the life that he had created with her. This home that he had with her, this paradise that he had finally found, he'd spend the rest of his life destroying the Titans to keep this peace in his life. Then, his body froze, his eyes wide in fear as every memory he'd tried to repress came trickling back. He remembered the Titans. He remembered his squad, remembered Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, remembered Hanji and Erwin, and their mission to reclaim Wal Maria. He remembered everything, and in that moment, he'd never felt more alone in his life as he stared down at Yuki sleeping soundly in his arms, tears streaming down his eyes as his entire body began to shake in fear.


	16. Chapter 16

Levi felt his insides turn as he shook in fear, careful not to wake Yuki as she slept in his arms. The absolute terror that invaded his body as he stared at her peaceful features made him want to scream; though he was screaming internally, he wouldn't dare disturb the peace that she had brought to him just moments before. Everything they had just shared, the love they expressed to one another, now seemed tarnished by everything he remembered; yes, he remembered everything. Body still shaking, tears still spilling from his eyes, he slid himself from the bed and made his way out of the room, his body essentially on auto pilot as he walked towards the front door. What he didn't count on was seeing Kage sitting in the kitchen, eyes narrowed at him as he stared at him with wide eyes. Levi had no idea how long he and Yuki had been in her room; however, seeing the sun shining outside the windows in the living room indicated that much time hadn't really passed. Seeing Kage there had startled him to say the least, but it was as if his mind had tuned him out as he continued on outside the front door, not wanting to pay attention to the eyes that were glaring at him.

When he was outside, the sun glaring down on his face, the weight of all his memories came crashing down on him as he sat down at the steps at the front. It was all coming back to him as he remembered that fateful day, their mission to retake Wal Maria. It was such a blur to him, seeing as the mission had seemingly been lost from the start, and as he had the beast titan in his grasp, he'd defeated it with a great deal of difficulty; though he was unable to destroy the host inside, he thought they stood a fighting chance in finding out what was inside Eren's basement, the secrets his father left behind – but fate had other plans. The armored titan had succeeded in defeating Eren and all my comrades were dead. As soon as he had stepped on to the wall, I'd seen the carnage, the city aflame, and knew that everything we had fought for had been lost. Eren was nowhere to be found and he was all that remained of the scouts regiment. In that moment, as he stared at the flaming city, he slid himself down the wall and, with what little energy he had left, he ran towards one of the remaining horses and headed towards the forest. He essentially remembered being dead to rights, with Eren's key firmly clutched in his hand as he whipped through the trees in the forest nearby and, as evident by the towering sounds behind him, he knew that Reiner his comrades had somewhat of an idea of where he was.

The picture of it grew clearer in his mind as his eyes gazed into the clouds above him, tears streaming down his face as the memories of how he came to be in this world reentered his mind. He remembered the blue light that had appeared as he fell from the trees that he had been traversing, remembered the sounds of the titans behind him as he clawed his way towards it, and then he remembered everything just ceasing to exist and, in an instant, he thought his life had finally run its course; however, fate, as cruel as it had been in that moment, decided to place him here in this world where Yuki and her uncle existed.

As lost in his thoughts as he was, he didn't notice the footsteps beside him or the body that ungracefully decided to sit next to him; then, as his eyes turned towards the body next to him, he realized that it was Yuki's uncle, quite possibly there to question him on why he was so distraught.

"I take it you remember?" Kage asked, arms crossed and a toothpick in his mouth as he gazed over at him. Frowning, Levi gave him a slow nod before resting his head against his knees as more tears threatened to escape.

"Everything," Levi began, breath shaky and uneven. Tilting his head to the side, he closed his eyes and nodded his head once more. "I remember everything." Placing a hand against his back, Kage patted it softly and released a soft sigh.

"Must be really bad if it's got you this worked up." He didn't want to press Levi for too much in the moment, but he knew that he needed answers from him, regardless of how distraught he was. He could sense by Levi's disposition that he'd just had a terrifying revelation and, judging by how shaken he was, he knew he needed a minute or two to calm himself down so, as he softly rubbed his back, he placed his free hand atop his head and forced Levi to look up at him. "Let's go for a walk Levi."

Staring at him with lost eyes, Levi nodded his head and pushed himself away from Kage's hand, his eyes still shaken as he helped himself up from the steps. He focused himself on the pathway before him, the path that led to the waterfall where it all began and, now that he had all the answers in his head, he wondered if he'd find more answers to his position in this world if they went there.

"Tell me Levi," Kage stated as he helped himself up. He pushed Levi forward and the pair began to walk down the gravel path. "Do you love my niece." Eyes wide, Levi looked at him with despair written all over his face as he furiously nodded his head.

"I do," he replied, instant in his efforts to help Kage understand. He steadied his gaze on the path ahead of them and released a shaky sigh. "However," he continued, eyes falling to the ground as they walked. Biting his lip, he concealed a sob from escaping his lip as he gripped his fists tightly together, rage threatening to escape from himself as he tried to voice his thoughts. "I just don't know what to do anymore. What I've remembered is something I can't ignore."

Kage took in the words that Levi spoke to him, tried to listen as intently as possible, but he couldn't help but feel terribly for his niece and the situation she placed herself in with Levi, seeing as she now had no idea that he was fully aware of who he was and where he came from.

"I take it you have a family?" Kage asked, decided now, more than ever, that he should just be a blunt as possible with him. Levi shook his head and released a dark chuckle.

"I think it would be easier if that was all it really was," he replied as he walked up to the fence lining the gravel path. Gripping on to it, he narrowed his eyes and sent Kage an icy glare. "The reality of my situation is a bit more complicated than that." Turning his back from Kage, he was a bit taken aback at where he had decided to cease his steps, the waterfall mere feet away from where the two of them stood.

"What is the reality of your situation Levi?" Kage asked, joining him by the fence. "If it isn't a family, then what is it?" Though he didn't turn to face him, he could hear the despair in Levi's voice as he tried to voice the words to him, his hands shaky against the fence as he gripped it tightly; for the life of him, Kage felt terribly for him in that moment, because he knew that the emotions within him were terrifying.

"My reality is that I shouldn't exist here."

Well, that certainly threw Kage for a loop as he listened to what Levi was telling him. For a moment, his mind had concluded that Levi, in that moment, was at least somewhat suicidal as he spoke to him; however, something about his words didn't sit well with him, so much so that he decided to press for more and understand more about his situation.

"What the hell does that mean Levi?" Kage pressed while cracking his knuckles. He watched as Levi tried to form his words, more tears threatening to spill from his eyes as he stared in to the water he'd once been fighting for his life in. Hands shaking, he turned his gaze over at him and sighed.

"What I mean, is that I'm not supposed to be in this world." Levi replied, knowing full well that his words weren't making much sense. If he had been on the other end of this conversation, he'd be just as skeptical as Kage was and, judging by the looks that came his way, he knew that Kage was very skeptical of what he was saying. Before Kage could say anything else, Levi decided to point at the waterfall and continue on with his explanation. "I won't try to explain much, seeing as it would be hard to wrap your head around, so all I can tell you is that Levi Ackerman, as you see him now, shouldn't be in this world."

"What do you mean, I won't be able to wrap my head around it?" Kage asked, begging for more of an explanation than what he was providing. Sighing, Levi's hands gripped harder on to the fence as he glared at him, not knowing how to explain his situation to him.

"It's hard to explain and even harder to explain how I got here."

"Just try me Levi." Kage replied, rolling his eyes as his fingers began to play with the toothpick in his mouth. "I just need to know why it has you so shaken up." Nodding his head, Levi scratched the back of his neck and continued.

"Does your world know anything about Titans?" the words seemed so foreign coming from his lips as he spoke them to him, as if he were trying to repress the memories that had come back to him, but he knew he had to remember them in order to move on. Kage seemed lost as he thought upon Levi's question, a faint memory coming back to him as that one word reentered his mind, not wanting to believe in the truth behind it as it came back him, a terribly taste in his mouth as he turned his gaze from Levi and towards the waterfall.

"Did Yuki tell you how her parents and my wife died?" Kage asked, his mind still unable to believe what Levi had just said.

"She said it was car accident, that her father ran off the road and they crashed in to a river." Nodding his head, Kage pressed his hand on the back of his neck and released a dejected sigh as his eyes focused on the ripples in the water.

"My wife and her parent's were scientists, all part of the same research team set up to study the seismic activity surrounding my land." It was almost as if he didn't want to speak about the painful memories that were invading his mind, but he had to talk to Levi about these memories in order to help him understand that he knew more about Levi's situation, more than anyone else could possibly know in his position. "You see, that waterfall right there, sits on an active volcano and Yuki's parent's and my late wife were the leading task force behind all the experiments and studies on the seismic activity and the unnatural occurrences at the time."

"Unnatural?" Levi asked, trying his best to wrap his head around what he was telling him. Nodding his head, Kage pointed at the ground beneath them and continued.

"Unnatural as in unexpected earthquakes, sometimes almost on a daily basis, yet when the news would break the next day, there were no reports of any type of earthquake every occurring. When my wife and her parents investigated the activity, they found that the focal point for all the seismic activity in the area centered around that waterfall."

As Levi listened to Kage's story, his mind was having a hard time wrapping his head around everything he was telling him. He had no idea how his story related to any of the things he had told him; however, part of him wanted to hear Kage's story until the end, hoping that it might connect to his situation in a way that helped him understand how he came to be here in his world.

"How does this have anything to do with me?" Levi asked, wanting Kage to finish his story. Softly chuckling, Kage patted Levi on the shoulder, pressed his hand to the back of his neck, and forced him to stare at the water pooling beneath the waterfall.

"As soon as they started their experiments, both my wife and her parents began to have strange visions, visions of monsters they called Titans." He saw Levi's eyes widen as he spoke the words, his gaze focused on the waterfall as he listened. "They were so afraid of their visions, afraid that they might get to Yuki and harm her…then, on the night of the accident, I got a strange phone call from her father, screaming on the line telling me that they were being chased by some monster. I couldn't tell you if their visions were real or not, but hearing you say that words brought back some memories, memories that may not be as crazy as I once thought they were."

Levi couldn't believe what he was hearing from him, that Yuki's parents and his wife had experienced, in some form or another, the same titan's he'd fought against in the other world. Could there be a connection? He had no way of knowing the truth behind it, but it was certainly unsettling; as he stared at the ripples in the pond beneath the waterfall, he couldn't help but believe that, in some form or another, it had something to do with his situation.

"That cant be a coincidence." Levi replied as he pushed Kage's hand away from his face. Taking in a deep breath, he stared down the path and up and the shrine and sighed, his thoughts turning back towards Yuki and the moment they'd just shared together. "But still…." He clenched his teeth, trying with all his might to hold back his rage. "even though I remember everything, I don't want to give her up."

"What would you be leaving behind?" Kage asked, pressing him for a quick answer.

What would he be leaving behind? The war was all but lost in his opinion, his wounds months earlier now evidence that he would have been decimated by the enemy had he not found his way here to them; still, there was a high possibility, if he wanted to return, that he'd never have the chance to make it back to them at all. In his mind, this was the only reality that existed now. His life with Yuki and her uncle was all he needed.

"I had nothing to begin with." His eyes softened as he noticed Yuki walking out the front door, her lips curved into a small smile as she waved at the two of them from afar. Glancing over at Kage, Levi's lips formed into a sad smile as he waved her over to the two of them. "All that matters now Kage is my life with her, and I won't give it up."


	17. back in time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> can you believe i have another chapter! i'm so excited about this one. I feel like things will really start to pick up after this. Honestly, this work is really helping me get through a tough time right now. Reviews are appreciated, but the therapy i'm getting from writing this is really helping me get through all the shit i'm dealing with.

Levi didn’t know how to approach the situation now and, seeing Yuki’s warm expression greet him as she approached both him and her uncle, made it even harder to conceal the emotions that were bubbling up inside his chest. He remembered everything about his past life and, knowing Yuki, she’d want to know every last detail on what he actually remembered; however, deep inside his heart, he didn’t want to reveal anything to her. He was far more comfortable creating a new life with her, new memories for him to cherish for the rest of his life. Her eyes, her warm inviting eyes, held so much joy in them as she welcomed the two of them and, though his body jolted in surprise as she placed an arm around his shoulder, her eyes staring fondly at the ripples in the water, he couldn’t help but feel calm in her presence.

“So,” Yuki began, finally breaking the silence between Levi and her uncle. “What’s got the two of you twerps so pouty?” Levi suppressed a small chuckle, though some of it escaped his lips, and ruffled her hair like he’d done earlier in the morning. Yuki’s eyes, in that moment, widened in surprise at his hand atop her head, but she ignored the embarrassment and just threw her other hand over her uncles shoulder and pulled the two of them close to her face, a giggle escaping her lips as she quickly ruffled both of their heads.

“I’m just in such a good mood right now, I don’t even care!” her laugh was enough to calm Levi’s spirit as he stared at her giddy expression, so much so that he pressed his lips to her cheek, his eyes gazing up at the knowing expression her uncle was giving him in the moment. Narrowing his eyes, he buried his neck into the crook of Yuki’s neck and sighed, Yuki blushing from the action.

“Levi,” she exclaimed, pushing him away instantly. “My uncle’s right there!”

Chuckling, Kage removed himself from Yuki’s embrace, his eyes focused on the waterfall once more as he softly turned his gaze back towards Levi. He wanted his niece to know the truth of her situation; sadly, he didn’t even comprehend everything himself, but he felt as though Yuki deserved to know everything. Sadly, it wasn’t his place to admit those things to her. In time, Levi would have to tell her those things; if and when he did, that is when he would comfort his niece and help her process everything.

“Well,” Kage said, hands gripping into the fence before them. “I guess I’ll head up to the shrine and make my rounds.” Nodding his head to both his niece and Levi, he continued his trek down the road, his eyes shooting a knowing glace Levi’s way before turning his back to them both.

The silence that followed calmed Levi’s soul as he pulled Yuki in to his arms, his hands firmly latched around her shoulders as he cradled her face in his hand and looked in to her beautiful eyes. The blush that followed nearly made him cry out in laughter but, as he stared at her flushed expression and remembered the moment they shared earlier, all he could do was lean his lips in to hers and kiss her softly.

“What was that for?” Yuki replied, her voice stammering as her face reddened even further. Not wanting to break the moment between them, Levi pressed his forehead against hers and chuckled, his fingers softly playing with some stray hairs against her face. They stood there like that for a few moments before he pressed a soft kiss against her forehead and sighed.

“I’m just happy Yuki.”

Yuki turned her gaze towards the waterfall once more, eyes mesmerized by the falls and the ripples in the water and just how beautiful everything was in that moment between them and, as she thought deeply upon their situation and how they came to share that moment, she silently thanked herself for taking this break from work and the stress it caused her. Without her friends encouragement to leave for a while, though she’d been gone longer than expected, she wouldn’t have met Levi and wouldn’t have had that moment with him earlier; however, thinking about that moment sent another flush to her face and, in an instant, she buried her hands in to her face and began to giggle.

“Everything ok Yuki?” The question seemed sincere at its core, but the look Yuki saw in his eyes seemed teasing and, if she looked hard enough, a bit smug as he pushed his face towards hers. Rolling her eyes, Yuki slapped him on the shoulder, scoffing at him as she rested her back against the fence behind them.

“You’re just a big pervert Levi!” Joining her, Levi pressed his lips to her cheek, snickering as he playfully pinched her side which, yet again, caused Yuki to swat him on the shoulder again.

“So, are you saying you didn’t enjoy it?” The smugness was still there, but Yuki pressed on as she laid her head on his shoulder.

“It’s just been a while for me Levi.” Though she didn’t want to be sad in her thoughts, it had been quite a while since she had shared such a moment with anyone like that, and it brought back a lot of sad memories for her. Glancing over at Levi, she bit her lip and sighed. Thoughts on what had created that moment between them were starting to seep back in and it left a very unsettling feeling in her stomach. Rubbing her back, Levi rested his chin atop her head, his eyes closed as he traced circles around her back to comfort her.

“If it makes you feel any better, it’s been a while for me to.” His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, silently cursing himself as he revealed such a small thing to her. He’d hoped she hadn’t caught on to that little slip in his judgment, seeing as he didn’t want to reveal too much to her but, feeling her freeze in his embrace, he turned her face to his only to see a wide smile on her face.

“You remembered something?” The hope in her eyes almost broke him as he turned his gaze away from her, nodding as his eyes turned downward.

“Yeah…” He half expected her to bombard him with questions; however, what he was given after his mistake, was a fierce hug and Yuki giggling into his neck.

“That’s amazing Levi!” Levi’s eyes widened, tearing up as she happily embraced him. He knew enough about Yuki and her demeanor to know that she wouldn’t press for anything unless he was ready to talk to her about it; however, the smile on his gave him so much joy as he looked into her eyes.

“You aren’t worried?” He asked, smiling at her. Shaking her head, she kissed him on the lips and grabbed his hand, motioning for him to follow her towards a gate that led to the path to the waterfall.

“I won’t press you for answers Levi,” she replied while gripping his hand tightly. She wanted this to be a happy moment between the two of them and, thinking about him having any part of his memories back in his life, if they were the kind of memories that could ultimately end them, wasn’t what she wanted to focus her time on. “I know you’ll tell me eventually and…” she looked at him and smiled. “We made a promise to stay together right.” Gripping her hand tightly, Levi smiled and nodded.

“Right.”

When they finally reached the waterfall, the ripples in the pool beneath it shimmered beneath the sunlight, so beautiful and enchanting as the two settled themselves atop the grass and embraced each other. Levi knew Yuki had questions she wanted to ask him and, being as selfish as he knew he was, he didn’t want to tell her everything he actually knew; however, he didn’t know how he’d be able to keep up with the mystery of not knowing who he really was to her. He knew next to nothing about how this world actually worked, only knew a little of life in the city and life inside the shrine with her uncle. Adjusting to everything would take time and, if he really thought on it, getting back to his old life may not even be a possibility. Was there even a life to go back to now? They’d failed their final mission and everyone had been slaughtered, him being the only survivor, so why was it eating away it him as much as it did. He didn’t want to think about anything other than Yuki and making a life for himself here, in this new world, but something else gnawed at him, left a bad taste in his mouth as he stared at his reflection in the water.

“Just so you know,” Levi replied, pulling Yuki into his embrace. “I don’t have a family.” Yuki froze, her eyes wide as tears started to stream down her eyes, a smile tearing across her face as she shakily looked up at him.

“You don’t?” she replied, and as he shook his head, she crushed her lips to his and pushed him back against the grass, her head falling into his chest as tears of joy trickled down her cheeks. After calming herself down, she slowly lifted her eyes to meet his, smile still on her face as she ran her hands along his cheeks. “I’m so happy Levi.”

“You have no idea how happy I am Yuki.” Kissing her softly, Levi pulled her in to his embrace and threaded his hands in to her hair, that same uneasy feeling entering his chest as he held her close. It was as though this feeling of dread was crawling in to his mind, invading his senses, and he tried to use her to put those feelings to rest; however, they kept assaulting his mind, and he didn’t know what to do. Before he knew it, he felt his body shaking beneath her, Yuki’s eyes filled with worry as she looked up at him.

“What’s wrong Levi?”

His eyes, full of fear and his body shaking, began to tear up as he pulled her face close to his and forcefully cradled her head in to the crook of his neck. He had no idea where this fear was coming from, had no idea how to release this tension, and he knew Yuki had no idea what was going on as he shook beneath her. Did he tell her the truth or, as it was becoming more and more evident, did he accept this fear as a new part of his life and life with it until it became too much for him to bare. Little did he know, fate had a different plan for him as Yuki sat her self up and pulled his head in to his lap.

“Levi, you’re scaring me.”

Looking up in to her eyes, fear and guilt rolled through his mind and body as he shakily moved a hand up to her face, tears spilling from his eyes as his insides began to turn, bile threatening to escape him as his mouth attempted to form words. Yuki didn’t know what to do in that moment, afraid for Levi as he shook beneath her, eyes tearing up as she cradled his face. She’d seen patients at the hospital have breakdowns before and, not knowing the full extent of the situation, she believed fully that Levi might be experiencing one of those. He’d gone months without remembering a thing and, perhaps remembering that small piece of his life caused the reaction she saw now; however, it wasn’t adding up in her head. If it was a small memory, she doubted he’d have this big of reaction. She knew he’d tell her everything soon, but deep down she knew there was more to it than he was letting on.

“You remember everything don’t you?”

Eyes wide with fear, Levi furiously shook his head as tears spilled down his cheek, his body acting against him as he buried his head in to her stomach. He tried to keep the fear away from him and, as his fingers gripped in to the grass beneath him, he somehow felt as though the waterfall, their presence there, had something to do with why he was so shaken. This place wasn’t somewhere he wanted to be right now and, if he could just distance himself from it, he felt as though he’d finally be able to calm down; however, Yuki turned his back to hers and gave him a shaky smile.

“It’s okay Levi.” She leaned her face down towards him and softly pressed her lips to his, her hair swaying in the wind as she smiled against his lips.

“Y…yuki…” A cry erupted from his mouth as Levi wrapped his arms around her waist and sobbed in to her chest. “I don’t want to remember.” He forcefully pulled her waist in to his arms and cried into her chest, his tears staining her shirt as his hands gripped into her pants.

Not wanting to upset him any further, Yuki allowed Levi to cry in to her chest, silent tears escaping her lips as she comforted him with her hands atop his head; however, as they sat there by the waterfall, unaware of their surroundings, they didn’t notice the dark clouds overhead or how the atmosphere around them had darkened. The wind had picked up significantly and, before Yuki could even register anything, she felt a fierce wind press against her back, startling her eyes turned towards the forest. The wind was fierce against her back and, as her eyes gazed up at the trees, she saw how they violently swayed above them as a terrifying feeling began to enter her chest.

“Levi,” she said, her body shaking a bit as she softly pressed her hand against his neck. “I think we need to leave now.”

She didn’t know why the sudden appearance of the storm startled her, just that she wanted to get as far away from it as possible; however, when her eyes turned towards the shrine and looked down the path her uncle had walked down earlier, she noticed that the trees and everything else surrounding them were as bright and as calm as ever, and it confused her as she looked up at the sky above her. Above them, there was only darkness yet, everywhere else, there was light and a sense of normalcy that wasn’t there with them in that moment. It frightened her.

“What is it Yuki?” Levi replied, his eyes widening as he turned his gaze to the sky. The same sense of dread filled his senses as he took in the same surroundings that Yuki had just been a witness to, his body jumping in to action as he helped himself up off the ground.

“What the fuck is going on Levi?” Yuki seemed at a loss for words as the winds began to pick up in speed, its direction settling on the waterfall as she sat on the ground, unable to move.

“We need to go Yuki.” Levi held his hand out to her, but Yuki sat there in fear, eyes wide as she focused on the winds that had parted the waterfall and revealed the stone behind it. She was transfixed on it, as if it had hypnotized her and nothing could prevent her eyes from looking away.

“The waterfall Levi…” All her thoughts in that moment led to the waterfall, and even though there was a sense of fear in her heart as she stared at it, she knew she had to keep looking, her hands gripping in to the grass beneath her.

Turning towards the waterfall, Levi could barely look away at the scene before him as he noticed the same blue light that had brought him in to this world and, for the first time in months, he was terrified. He had to do something soon if he wanted to get them away from it, and he had to act quickly. His sense of safety wasn’t what mattered now and, as he looked at Yuki and how lost she was as she stared at it, he kneeled down to her and tried to pull her away from the area; however, as his hands touched the small of her back, blue streaks of energy erupted from Yuki’s body and pushed him away from her.

“YUKI!” he screamed; eyes filled with terror as he watched the same blue light slowly begin to envelop her body. Reeling back in pain, his hands around his stomach, he felt the wind push against him as he tried to walk back to her. “Whoever the fuck this is, you need to stop it now!” whatever this was, he wasn’t going to let it get to Yuki. Even if it meant he had to go back to his time, he’d do it if it meant protecting her from whatever was trying to harm her right now.

Turning to face him, Yuki smiled as the blue light continued to form around her body, Levi still trying with all his might to reach her as the wind blasted against him. When he finally reached her body, ignoring the pain that shot through him, he wrapped his arms around her back and held her close.

“Yuki.” He tried to reach out to her, but all she could do for him in that moment was look up at him and smile, her hands against his cheek as she turned his gaze towards the waterfall.

“It’s calling us Levi.” She was so firm with her words, as if she understood everything, and all Levi could do is hold her close and wait for the terror to end.

“What are you talking about Yuki?” he asked, hands gripping into her as he tried to pull her away from everything. The pain in his chest and his body grew worse and worse, and it was getting harder to hold on to her; so, giving up, he relaxed into her body and sighed.

“They’re calling us home Levi.”

He understood nothing now, and somehow, he knew Yuki had gotten caught up in everything now, and it terrified him. All he wanted in that moment was for the storm to calm down and for Yuki to go back to normal, for his new life to continue on as it had so, all he could do now, was sob in to her neck as he held her close.

“Please Yuki,” he pleaded as he sobbed into her neck. “Let’s go back.”

“We are going back Levi.” She replied, smile on her lips as she pointed at middle of the waterfall.

When Levi’s eyes turned towards where she’d pointed, the fear in his eyes returned as he tried to forcefully pull the two of them away from the storm. Where there was once a stone wall behind the waterfall now stood an empty space, a portal to his world, and it shook his very core as he noticed the Titans that were heading towards them. All he could think now was that this was some sick nightmare, that he’d never gotten his memories back, and that he was safely asleep in Yuki’s room and she was safe in his arms. With all his might, he tried to pull Yuki away from the light that had now formed around them both but, as he looked behind them, there was nothing but an empty space. It was just them and this portal to his world, and now it seemed as though they were going to be devoured by the monsters he’d though he’d finally freed himself from.

The wind grew harder against the both of them and he could feel his grip on Yuki slipping as the portal began to pull her towards it, and all Levi could do is hold on tightly as it pulled at them both.

“Don’t take her!” he screamed as it grew harder to hold on to her. “She isn’t a part of this!”

Before he knew what was happening, all that he could hold on to now was her hand as the portal pulled at her forcefully, smile still on her lips as she stared at him lovingly.

“Yuki!” He cried, trying hard to pull her to him. “Don’t go.” Tears were streaming down his face as he felt her hand release from his and, as he released a blood curdling scream, he watched her disappear from his view, her body lost to him. The fear that had taken control of him before had returned, and now he didn’t know what to do. His reality was crumbling beneath him as the blue light that had started everything shone brightly around his body, his eyes unable to see anything else as he fell into the abyss.

“Yuki….”

And then he woke up, Yuki’s name loud on his lips as he shot up from his bed with sweat rolling down his neck and his face, his body heaving uncontrollably as he looked around the darkened room. His mind was a bit dazed, wondering then if everything he’d experienced had just been a dream; however, as he studied his surroundings, he slowly understood that he wasn’t in Yuki’s room. In fact, everything within the room seemed like a faint memory now and, as calmed himself down, he noticed how rustic the room really was and the lack of light that came from the windows that had, as he looked at it, been boarded up.

“Where am I?” he questioned as his head fall back on to the bed; as uncomfortable as the bed was, he tried to compose himself and understand what was really going on. However, before he could even think about composing himself even further, he heard a knock on the door. Hoping it might be Yuki on the other side, he got up from the bed and opened the door. He wasn’t prepared for who was on the other side. Standing before him, in the flesh, were Isabelle and Farlan, friends who had long been lost to him. It wasn’t Yuki and, as he stood there staring at the two of them, the reality of his situation finally set in.

Just how far had he been sent back?


	18. Chapter 18

“Big bro, is everything ok?” Isabel replied, worry written all over her face.

That was all she asked while staring up at Levi’s unusual expression, eyes wide as he stared at the two of them. Isabelle and Farlan weren’t supposed to exist, weren’t supposed to even be alive and, as he looked around the room once more, then back at them, he felt a wave a nausea overcome him as he gripped on to his stomach and fell to his knees. Worried for his condition, Isabelle knelt beside him, hands on his back, as she watched Levi fall apart; strangely, Levi couldn’t wrap his head around what had just happened.

“Hey Levi,” replied Farlan while standing in the doorway, eyes just as worried as Isabelle’s as he looked around the room. “Are you sick or something?”

Looking up at him, body convulsing and sweat rolling down his face, Levi nodded his head as he softly pushed Isabel away from him and crawled over to his bed. He was definitely sick; however, it wasn’t an illness that caused him to feel this way. As it stood now, he had no idea where Yuki was and, to make matters worse, he’d essentially been sent back in time, a time where the three of them still lived in the underground and knew nothing of the survey corps or Erwin Smith; as he looked over at them and their worried expressions, he wanted to be happy and relieved that they were with him again but, with all that he had learned and experienced, he could only feel sadness as his hands gripped on to the bed sheets.

“Isabel,” Levi asked as his arms wrapped around his waist. Shakily, she walked over to him and sat down on the bed.

“What is it Big Bro?” Her reply was so sweet to his ears, so nostalgic as he shakily looked up at her.

“Can you get me a glass of water?” He almost couldn’t get the words out as a cough escaped his lips and another wave of pain shot through his chest. With soft eyes, she nodded her head and motioned for Farlan to move out of the way.

“Coming right up Big bro.” Sitting up from the bed, she made her way out of the room and left Levi and Farlan alone. For a moment, the two of them sat in silence and, as Farlan stared at Levi, his back leaning against the wall and eyes lit with worry and confusion, he could only think that something did sit well with him and what he’d just been exposed to. Yes, they lived in the underground, so Levi falling ill wasn’t hard to believe; however, as he looked at the fear on Levi’s eyes, he knew something wasn’t right. All the times Levi had ever been sick in their presence, he’d never expressed himself like this. Looking down at Levi, a sigh escaped his lips as he crossed his arms.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost Levi.” Startled, Levi looked up at him, then turned his eyes to the ground.

“I’m just sick Farlan.” Placing his hands against his forehead, he tried to push the pain down but could only think about what had just happened and the loss he’d just experienced. Was she lost to him forever now? Everything he’d had in that other world had been so perfect, a paradise in his mind, and now it was gone and, what made everything even more horrifying, was that Yuki had gotten caught up in it.

“Cut the shit Levi.” Farlan cut straight to the chase, knowing full well that something as simple as being sick wasn’t why Levi was shaking on the floor. Walking over to him, he kneeled down, grabbed Levi by the back of the head, and forced him to look up at him. He knew it was a risky move, seeing as how Levi could lash out seriously hurt him for such an action but, in his current state, he thought he’d take his chances and go for it. “Why do you look like you’ve just seen a ghost?”

Crying out, Levi pushed Farlan away from him and gasped as he watched him fall on his back. They were supposed to be dead, both of them, and now he felt as though he’d lost his mind. All of his surroundings seemed so familiar, just like they’d used to when the three of them lived in the underground. His room looked exactly the same, the same rusty old bed that would always hurt his back after sleeping in it, the same night stand beside it, and the same darkness that always filled the room because of its inability to reach the sun. He wanted it all to be a dream, wanted to be back in Yuki’s arms and feel her touch again but, as he gripped his hands in to his sides, his nails digging in to his skin, he felt the pain that followed soon after and knew it wasn’t a dream. It was real, and it was definitely a nightmare in his mind. Not only had he been sent back to them but, as it stood now, the memories he had of the future were perfectly intact.

“What the fuck Levi!” Farlan screamed as he sat himself up. “What’s gotten into you?”

Hearing Farlan’s scream, Isabel ran back in to the room, eyes wide as she stared down at the two of them. Clutching Levi’s water in her hand, she walked over to him and slowly handed him the cup, her eyes still worrisome for his demeanor. Instantly, Levi gulped down the water as an exasperated sigh escaped his lips. Nearly choking on the water, he released a cough as he wiped away the water that had trickled down his face.

“Levi,” Isabel began while walking over to Farlan. “What’s going on?”

Levi looked up at the two of them, fear on his eyes as he sat the cup on the ground. If he told them the truth, the possibility of them not believing him was extremely high and, now that they were back in the underground, he had no chance of making it back to the surface without Erwin’s interference; now that he thought on that little bit of information, he wondered how long it would take to find him. He knew the three of them had made quite a name for themselves down in the underground, seeing as they used the 3dm gear to get around the city; but, as it stood, he didn’t even know if the gear was in their possession. Sighing, he tried to reign in his emotions as he shakily helped himself sit on the bed. Isabelle ran to his side, trying her best to help him with what she’d still believed to be a sickness but, turning her direction, he shook his head, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her close to his chest.

“What’s gotten in to you Levi!” Isabel exclaimed as she felt her head against Levi’s chest. Levi was never this affectionate, not even to them, and they were his closest friend.

“Isabelle, Farlan,” Levi began as he motioned for Farlan to join them on the bed. Slowly, Farlan stood up and began to walk to the bed, softly mumbling under his breath about “punching him in the face” if he tried anything like that again. Chuckling, Levi pulled Farlan in to him with his other arm and softly began to cry.

“Levi……” Isabel looked up at him, eyes wide as she witnessed him crying before her.

“The two of you are supposed to be dead.” The words were spoken in a whisper but, judging by the shocked looks on both their faces, they’d heard enough of what he’d spoken and, after taking in what he’d said, they grew even more distressed as they tried to press Levi for answers.

“What the hell do you mean Levi?” Isabelle asked.

“Yeah,” Farlan replied as he pushed Levi away from him. He crossed his legs on the bed and sighed. “Whatever the fuck this is, well, it isn’t fucking funny.”

To avoid any more distress on their part, Levi released Isabelle from his hold and slowly began to explain everything to them. At first, they laughed it off as some nightmare that Levi had had in the middle of the night; still, Levi persisted as he told him his story of how they’d met Erwin and how they had gained the right to leave the underground. Luckily for him, they weren’t trying to play everything off as a sick joke and, seeing as Levi rarely joked, they knew he was serious about what he’d been saying. Levi wanted to avoid discussing their deaths, seeing as how he always blamed himself for the reasons why they’d died in the first place; however, he needed them to believe him and his words. He needed them to believe everything he told them. Perhaps with this advantage over the enemy they might stand a chance at winning this time. Still, he felt a hole in his chest as he thought about Yuki. That world he’d been exposed to was now lost to him and, though he wanted to go back, he had a duty to his friends and his fallen comrades to flip the script and rewrite history.

“So, you’re saying that the Titan’s are people?” Farlan asked, clearly at a loss for words as he wrapped his head around what Levi had told him. Levi nodded his head and sighed.

“Based on what I’ve learned so far, the Reiss family has the ability to alter the memories of everyone within the walls. We were close to discovering the truth, but we failed our mission.” He thought back on his final mission to recover the truth from Eren’s basement, threaded his fingers together, and yet again released a hearty sigh.

“The truth about what?” Isabelle asked, clearly intrigued by where Levi was going with everything. Levi gave her a soft smile, happy that she was paying attention to him.

“Our final mission was to recover documents from Grisha Yeager’s basement. Wal Maria had fallen to the titans years before so me, along with many others, fought to fight for the truth against them.” He saw the wonder in their eyes as they listened to him and hoped, more than anything, that they believed him.

“So you’re telling me that normal people can be titans?” Farlan asked, clearly amazed at the very idea of Titan shifter’s, even the idea of it, being a possibility.

“Yes,” Levi replied, dread in his eyes as he remembered Eren and the other’s.

“How do you know so much about these things Levi?” Isabel asked, still a little doubtful. How could Levi explain it to her in a way that made sense? Everything he was telling them was the truth but, even now where they were, he had no way of proving it to them without finding Erwin and rejoining the survey corps.

“I don’t know how to explain it to you Isabel.” Rolling her eyes, Isabel helped herself off the bed and began to pace around the room.

“You’re telling us that everyone around here, even outside the walls, has had their memories altered by the government, that Titan’s aren’t really monsters but people, and that we’re going to join the survey corps and, I assume in the near future, get killed by them.” She’d done a good job at summarizing everything he’d said. In a nutshell, that summed everything up, at least for the time being.

“How can we believe what you’re saying?” Farlan asked, still a bit shaken by everything.

“You have no way of knowing,” Levi replied, eyes focused on both of them as he slowly helped himself off the bed. Luckily, the fear and the pain had finally died down a bit as he walked over to Isabel and pulled her in for a hug. “However,” he continued, chuckling at the surprised look on her face. “Would I lie to you? If what I’m saying isn’t the truth, then why would I waste my time with telling you?” facing Isabel and her shocked face, he smiled as he softly rubbed her back.

Still taken aback by Levi’s change in demeanor, seeing as he’d never been this affectionate with her, she buried her head in to his chest and nodded her head. She knew Levi wasn’t one to mince words so, knowing him well enough, she knew that when he told them something, nothing but the truth escaped his lips, at least the truth from his perspective.

“If what you’re saying is true big bro,” she began, eyes looking up to his. “Then what are we going to do about it?”

Levi knew what to do, at least knew the first step to take in his second chance to save humanity. Still, he thought about Yuki and where she might be now. He’d watched her get sucked in to the portal as well so he had no way of knowing when or where she might be. Though he’d told Isabel and Farlan everything he knew about the Titan’s, he’d left out how he knew so much about them or how he’d made in in to Yuki’s world. That bit of information would have been too much for them to handle; certainly, in the near future, he’d explain it to them but, for now at least, they needed to focus on the their next mission and find the one man who could make his goal a possibility. Hopefully, this time around, they might be able to save more lives.

“We need to find Erwin Smith.”


End file.
